All roads led to Mbale last night as all court judges, State Attorneys led by Deputy Attorney General Rukutana Rugunda and other lawyers to the petitioners made their way ahead of today’s judgement day on age limit Bill that was passed last year.
The 5 Constitutional Court judges led by Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo will today at 9.30 am in Mbale High Court deliver their judgment in the consolidated petitions challenging the enactment of Constitutional Amendment Bill, (No.2), 2017, popularly referred to as Age limit Bill.
According to our sources in Mbale, traffic is heavily guided by Police amidst tight deployment in and out Mbale High Court and the entire streets to avoid any chaos after the outcomes of the ruling.
On December 20, 2017 Parliament passed the Bill to remove upper age limit for presidents and other local council. MPs also voted to extend parliamentary and presidential tenure with immediate effect from the current 5years to 7years and also restore presidential term limits.
During a recent interview, Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga, one of the petitioners told us that they are excited to hear that the long awaited court judgment is finally ready more than a month later after judges concluded the hearing of the consolidated petition and vowed to deliver its judgment “on notice.”
“Of course we have excitedly waiting for the judgment because the matters are very obvious. But let us wait see if justice will be served and if the judges will not serve the interests of an individual,” Karuhanga said.
The other petitioners in the consolidated petition include; Male Mabirizi, Uganda Law Society, Prosper Businge and Jonathan Abaine Buregyeya.
Asked the opposition’s next step if the judgment is against them, Karuhanga said that, “If the judgment is not to our favour then we shall sit down as petitioners and see if we can appeal.”
The panel of five judges who have been hearing this petition are; Owiny- Dollo, Remmy Kasule, Elizabeth Musoke, Cheborion Barishaki and Kenneth Kakuru.
