{UAH} Simon we are in the wrong business. : Courted MPs Want Shs. 1.5 Billion to Back Age Limit Bill

MP Ssekotoleko Kafeero is said to be behind the the refurbished Age limit Bill

By: Dickens H Okello

 Nov 5,2016 330 Viewed2 Comments

The government is expected to bring to Parliament a number of bills to amend the Constitution and the most notable is the one to remove the presidential age limit currently at 75 years.

In August, ChimpReports Broke The News of a then silent private members bill meant to remove the retirement age for judges, scrap the restricted two-term tenure for the Electoral Commission topmost officials among others.

The bill that was days later moved by Nakifuma county Member of Parliament, Ssekitoleko Kafeero was instantly viewed by many as a calculated plan to lift the presidential age limit.

It was later to be thrown out by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who said any amendment of the Constitution should be comprehensive but not piece meal and she asked the government take charge.

According to sources, The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Attorney General's office that already had plans for constitutional reforms, immediately embarked on paper work when Ssekitoleko's Bill flopped.

This website also understands that there was already a plan B to be executed by the Justice ministry in the event of failure of Ssekitoleko's project.

On the political front, ChimpReports has exclusively learnt that 30 Members of Parliament from Buganda have already been courted to do the mobilization in the region where the project is supposed to start from.

The 30 MPs according to a source, met with Security Minister Gen. Henry Tumukunde on Wednesday last week in Kampala.

The meeting was to conclude on the amount of money to be given to each them. We understand that each has already asked and insisting to be given Shs1.5bn for them to do the job.

"We wanted to iron out the economic bit before we hit the political field," one of the MPs told this reporter.

The meeting however did not reach a common ground since the MPs were offered only one third of the demanded amount.

"We were told there is no money and only Shs500m can be given to us in cash. No conclusion yet but we are to internally decide," the source added.

The 30 MPs are to meet this weekend to reach the final decision at a location we have decided to withhold.

The Wednesday meeting was not attended by all the 30 but slightly above a half and all were given transport refund.

ChimpReports is yet to get a comment from Gen. Tumukunde as his phone was answered by an aide who told us that he is out of the country.

After Buganda, MPs from other regions are also going to be engaged to mobilize the grassroots to support the removal of presidential limit.

President Yoweri Museveni is now 72 and not eligible to stand in the next election in 2021 under the current legal regime.

The Bugabula South MP, James Kakooza who successfully moved the motion in 2005 to lift the presidential term limit is again said to be the main figure in the presidential age limit removal.

The Kampala Central MP, Mohamed Nsereko who currently has a good following within the young legislators is also said to be close to the project.

Meanwhile the former Police Spokesman Simeo Nsubuga is already in the group. When contacted on phone, Mr. Nsubuga denied attending the Wednesday meeting and  described the reports as false.

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