By; News room

Parliamentary Commission has released UGX 13 Billion for the 437 MPs each entitled to UGX 29 million to facilitate them during the consultations on the proposed Age Limit Bill.

Parliament’s Director Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore says that the Clerk to Parliament Jane Kibirige Received the money and it has been wired on each MP’s bank account.

The Private Member’s Bill tabled by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi, seeks to among others amend Article 102 (b) of the Constitution which caps the presidential age limit at 75 years. The bill is currently before parliament’s Legal Committee for consideration.

The UGX 13 billion was picked from the mandatory emoluments for Members of Parliament to enable them go and do the consultations.

With consultations already going on in a number of constituencies across the country, Obore says that the official period that has been allocated for consultations is 15 days starting on October 25 to November 8, 2017 within each MP’s respective constituency.

Two weeks ago, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga adjourned parliament to enable MPs consult widely on the controversial amendment. With this directive, a number of MPs have been going on with the consultations even without the provision of this consultation money.

Legislators opposed to the removal of the presidential age limit have however rejected  the money saying the funding is a form of manipulation that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party intends to use to legitimize the age limit removal.

The MPs from both the ruling party and the Opposition noted that they have been consulting about other bills brought before parliament yet no special money was provided.

President Yoweri Museveni could become the first direct beneficiary of the proposed amendment, should the upper age cap be removed. At 73, the president is not eligible for re-election in 2021 as he will be above 75 years.


Tuesday 24th October 2017 06:06:26 AM