MP Nambooze with Ssegirinya
Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze has vowed to resign in May 2021 if court fails to rule out this act that was passed by the president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Nambooze notes that she set to resign because her commitment with her voters is strictly for 5 years and not 7 as the ruling National Resistance Movement lawmakers want it done.
She says she will wait for the next by-election where the people of Mukono will have the mandate to decide whether to send her back to parliament or not.
Nambooze added that the president’s decision does not come as a surprise but however insists that as the opposition, they are ready to challenge this act by going to court to have the act nullified.
It should be noted that Nambooze is not the opposition leader saying this with the other one being Kawempe North KCCA councilor Muhammad Ssegirinya who also noted that come 2021, he will be handing over his office back to the voters.
These statements follow President Museveni’s decision to assent to the age limit bill making it a law.
It should be noted that Legislators recently passed the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2017 dropping the 75 year upper age limit for presidential candidates and extending the term of Parliament to seven years.
After three days of debate and objections by a section of Opposition, Independent and a few NRM MPs, Parliament approved what came to be known as the ‘Age Limit Bill’ with the required two thirds majority on Wednesday night.
At the third reading, the last stage before a Bill becomes an Act, 315 MPs voted in favour, while 62 rejected the Bill, with 2 MPs abstaining.
For each of the second and third readings, MPs had to endure over two hours of roll call and tally, the method of voting required for bills meant to amend provisions of the Constitution.
In early October, Igara West MP, Hon. Raphael Magyezi (NRM) moved the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2017 for its first reading, following a motion, a requirement by the Rules of Procedure, passed on 27th September 2017.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, declared the Constitution (Amendment) (No.2) 2017 passed into an Act of Parliament awaiting presidential assent something he did within less than a week.
However regardless of the ruling party using a lot of powers to have the controversial amendments passed, allot of mixed reactions have taken a hype from both ruling, opposition and even religious leaders saying the bill had selfish motives.
