ARTICLE 102B WAS SMUGGLED INTO CONSTITUTION- NRM

By; Francis Lubega

The Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has embarked on investigating into the alleged smuggling of Article 102 (b) into the constitution.

This came during the interface with the leaders of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) led by the Deputy Secretary General, Richard Todwongo who told the committee that in their findings, the article pertaining age limit was never agreed upon by the members of the Constituent Assembly.

The Committee, which is chaired by the South Budama Member of parliament, MP Jacob Oboth-Oboth is conducting public hearings to collect views of different Ugandans on the bill.

Todwong claimed that the Constituent Assembly (CA) in 1995 agreed that no age limit should be imposed and that it should be left to the people to decide.

He acknowledges that although proposals were made to have a lower age limit of 35 years and an upper limit of 75 years during the Constituent Assembly debate, a motion was introduced by the former representative of Kasanda South, Dr. John Kabayo seeking the deletion of paragraph 102 (b) and that it was agreed upon after the CA Chairman, the late James Wapakhabulo put it to the question of the members to leave it out.

However, some of the committee members couldn’t have any of this. Abdu Katuntu, the Bugweri County MP said the committee has a duty to interrogate the allegations to ascertain whether the Constitution they have been holding sacred contains smuggled clauses.

Medard Lubega Sseggona said the allegations made by Twodong were very serious and should be probed considering that the NRM government has been boasting about the 1995 Constitution.

Aston Kajara, the Mwenge South MP who was part of the Constituent Assembly, said whatever is in the constitution was agreed upon.

Moses Kasibante, the Rubaga North MP accused the NRM side of dishonesty, saying the copy of the Hansard availed to the MPs indicates that Article 102 (b) was approved by the Constituent Assembly.