On Tuesday, members of Parliament affiliated to the ruling NRM party passed a resolution to have Article 102 (b) of the Constitution amended to scrap the 75 limit for anyone to stand for election as President. The move took the raging debate on the Presidential age limit a notch higher as MPs opposed to the plan describing their colleagues as self-seekers who were hell bent on entrenching President Museveni as life President.

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago joined those pushing to have the Presidential age limit left intact in the Constitution. He said the MPs had violated the Oath they took to protect the Constitution as they assumed office. “The sanctity of this Constitution is being violated by the very people who are supposed to protect it, it’s an absurd test, it’s an irony and it’s a national scandal as I said.”

According to Lukwago, the MPs exhibited the highest level of selfishness and greed. He feared that if the amendment succeeded, it could cause political turmoil in Uganda. “For the sole reason, the sole purpose of entrenching a one man’s rule in this country.” Lukwago accused the Minister of Kampala Betty Kamya, for mobilizing the youth who demonstrated in Kampala in support of lifting the Presidential age limit. He claimed she was given 7.9 billion shillings to spear head the campaign in Kampala but warned that she would not have it easy. “Be on notice, you are going to face it rough, we are not going to give you room and space in Kampala to play around with our children’s future or your own future actually, to play around with our rights.” Kamya declined to comment on the matter. “Today am just talking about this, am not talking about anything else. I don’t want anything to compete with the need to protect our environment, thank you very much.” The MPs pushing to remove the Presidential age limit from the Constitution intended to table the Private Members’ Bill in Parliament next Thursday.