Hon. Raphael Magezi
Igara West Member of Parliament Raphael Magyezi was this afternoon caught between a rock and a hard place, defending his Bill on the Constitution Amendment as opposition MPs place before him another hurdle.
The Bill currently before the committee on legal and parliamentary affairs seeks to amend Article 102(b) of the Constitution to lift the upper limit of the presidential age limit.
The committee chaired by Jacob Oboth Oboth asked Magyezi to provide a copy of the bill and a certificate of financial implication to which he did.
Meanwhile, before he could continue, Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju interrupted saying that the manner in which the committee had been handled was not right and could stop other people from coming to give their views about the contentious bill.
In response, Oboth Oboth said that even if members invited don’t turn up to the committee, it will not have any effect on the process.
Although the MPs had earlier opted for change of timelines on committee schedules to discuss procedural matters, opposition members led by Ssemujju Nganda and Abdul Katuntu raised concerns about other legalities which included the manner in which the Bill was gazetted.
According to documents presented to the committee, Magyezi gazetted the Bill on 28 September 2017, the same date he secured leave from parliament.
On the same day, Magyezi had his bill issued with the Certificate of Financial Implication from the Ministry of Finance.
However Efforts by the committee chairperson to request the MPs to calm down proved futile as the deafening noise continued. The infuriated Magyezi later got off his seat and exited saying he will report the undisciplined lawmakers to the Chief whip something that forced MPs led by Monica Amoding, Ssemujju, Ssegona and Katuntu to continue heckling him.
