Army, police meet Speaker Kadaga

Kampala- The Chief of Defence Forces and the Inspector General of Police yesterday met the Speaker of Parliament, ahead of the tabling of a report on the lifting of the age limit for presidential candidates.

The CDF, Gen David Muhoozi, and the police chief, Gen Kale Kayihura, were at Parliament yesterday evening but details of their meeting were scanty.

On September 27, the House was thrown into fracas after MPs opposed to lifting of the age limit for presidential candidates were forcefully ejected from Parliament by security officials.
Gen Kayihura said he was the one who commanded the arrest of the MPs.

Gen Muhoozi, who had seldom been seen at the House before, did not speak to journalists about his ‘visit’.

During a press conference yesterday, the deputy Opposition Chief Whip, Mr Roland Mugume, raised concerns about their security.

He said President Museveni is yet to reply Ms Kadaga’s letter about the identity of “unsolicited forces” that raided the House.

However, the executive director of the Uganda Media Centre, Mr Ofwono Opondo, said Ms Kadaga is now embarrassed.

Meanwhile, police have said anyone who flocks to Parliament today protesting the voting process on the proposed removal of presidential age limit will face the consequences.
While addressing journalists yesterday, police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said they had learnt of MPs whom he equated to ‘drama actors’, inciting the public to storm Parliament during the house proceedings, warning that security officers will not allow chaos around the chambers.
He advised the public to mind their own business and let MPs deliberate on their behalf.

He said police would exercise its constitutional mandate to protect the Parliament and its members from any kind of violence.

“Our intelligence has revealed that some MPs who like drama so much have rallied the public to flock to Parliament tomorrow [today]. As police, we discourage the public from engaging in violence because we shall not allow that to happen,” Mr Kayima said.

Police warning comes at the time when MPs opposed to the amendment of Article 102(b) of the Constitution that caps presidential age at 75 have declared this week as the “red ribbon, Togikwatako week.”

Asked on whether police would deploy outside and inside Parliament, Mr Kayima said it would depend on the security threat that will be geared towards the Parliament premises.

“MPs security inside Parliament is handled by the Speaker of Parliament. Besides, we have a full directorate that handled issues related to Parliament,” Mr Kayima said.

Mr Kayima did not pronounce himself on whether police would block some roads leading to Parliament, but he asked the public to cooperate with traffic police.

“Roads may not be blocked but there might be some diversions and we request the drivers to respect the traffic rules that may be put at these diversions,” he said.

The police spokesperson declined to reveal the number of security officers who have been prepared to man roads around Parliament and others ahead of the anticipated protests against age limit removal.

The voting process on the passing of age Constitution amendment Bill, 2017 starts today in accordance with Article 262 of the Constitution that states that a Bill for an Act of Parliament to amend any provision of the Constitution, other than those referred to in Articles 260 and 261, it is supported at the second and third readings by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all Members of Parliament.
[email protected]