Police deploy in Natete ahead of Opposition age limit consultative meeting

There is heavy police deployment at Natete Lorry Park at Natete in Rubaga South constituency in Kampala ahead of the joint opposition consultation meeting on the presidential age limit.

According to our reporter, heavily armed police on three patrol vehicles have deployed strategically at Natete traffic lights and Lorry Park. Our reporter also counted about 40 regular police officers deployed in the area.

By the time of publishing this story, none of the opposition members of parliament had arrived in the area although, the consultative meeting was scheduled to kick off by midday. Rubaga South constituency is represented in parliament by Kato Lubwama.

Earlier on police picked up Juuko Kayima, the Rubaga Central A councillor and threatened to drag him to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters in Kireka for allegedly putting on a red ribbon and red eye glasses.

This reporter overheard Kampala Metropolitan polices spokesperson Emilian Kayima telling police that "Uganda is a home of all and people shouldn't be treated this way, adding that he had done nothing wrong. He was later released and ordered to remove the red ribbon and maintain peace. Siraji Bakaleke, Kampala South Regional Police Commander, says they have only deployed to maintain law and order.

He also warned the opposition legislators against holding joint consultations as directed by Asumani Mugyenyi, the Director of Operations in Uganda Police Force. Early this week, Mr Mugyenyi wrote to Regional Police Commander, District Police Commander and Officers in Charge of Police Stations to stop joint opposition consultations, saying each MP should consult in their own constituency.

The directive drew angry protests from the legislators, saying there is no law barring them from holding the joint consultations. Although Bakaleke admits there is not law stopping the joint consultative meetings, they are only acting on the speaker's directive, which requires MPs to stick to their constituencies.

The opposition MPs announced the joint consultative meetings after the Igara East MP, Raphael Magyezi tabled The Con¬sti¬tu¬tion (Amend¬ment) (No. 2) Bill, 2017, which seeks to scrap article 102 (b) of the constitution that caps the president's age at 75 years.
The bill is currently before the legal affairs committee for scrutiny before it is returned to parliament for discussion. Once approved, the bill will pave way for president, Yoweri Museveni who will be, 75 years of age to contest for re-election in the 2021 elections.