NRM supporters are set to have their Christmas with passing of the controversial Age Limit Bill before 15th December 2017.
Credible sources reveal that NRM MPs in support of scrapping off the Presidential age limits from the Constitution are these days seen in the corridors of Parliament discussing their plan to have article 102 (b) amended when Parliament returns from recess on December 12, 2017.
Sources reveal that the Parliamentary Legal Committee will present its report from the investigations carried out Bill on 12th and 13th is set to be the day for passing the Bill.
“The reason we went in for this recess term is because the President instructed that there should be no business in the House until the Age Limit Bill is passed. We shall comeback on 12th and hear from the [Parliamentary] Legal Committee, then pass it on 13th,” one NRM legislator (names withheld) said.
In late October MPs were each given Shs29m and sent back to their constituencies to consult whether voters support the bill or not.
They returned on November28, 2017 but surprisingly were sent back home by deputy speaker Jacob Oulanya for a two-week recess term until 12th December.
Jacob Oboth Oboth, the Chairperson of Parliamentary Legal Committee confirmed that they have done all the necessary consultations into the Bill that was brought by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi and that they are in the final stages and ready to present their report before Parliament.
“It’s only the legal committee that has been much involved with the Magyezi Bill which is now coming to an end. We have received all submissions and by the end of this week, we shall have completed with our work plan towards the conclusion of our report writing,” Oboth said.
The Committee will today meet President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe in regard to the controversial Bill that seeks to allow a person above 75 years of age stand for President.
However, Opposition MPs are still adamant that they will go down fighting to ensure that the Constitution isn’t tampered with.
Nambeshe John Baptist , an NRM rebel MP from Manjiya County, Bududa District claimed that MPs have started receiving Shs300m each on their accounts to support the Bill, noting that that’s why many are excited.
“..They are receiving Shs300m and the other Shs200m which is not cleared is just promised to them to paid immediately after the Bill is passed,” Nambeshe alleged, adding that the plan is to vote by secret ballot.
“We insist that voting should be done in the open. We shall not allow secretes. In the open everybody will see which member voted in support and all the mole who are hiding in us,” he added.
Rubaga North, Moses Kasibante says the Bill has been rejected by majority Ugandans who are the bosses that sent all MPs to parliament.
“Whoever will vote in favour of the bill will actually be betraying the very people who sent them to parliament. We are very prepared than before; we are going to re-engineer and use every tactic possible to see that the Bill is not passed,” he said.
