Police vow to block age limit campaigns

Police spokesperson Asan Kasingye

What you need to know:

  • The civil society also called upon Ugandans to reject the proposed land Bill that if passed as law, it would empower government to take citizens’ land for government projects before compensation.
  • The Lands minister, Ms Betty Amongi, however, insists that the proposed land amendments is in good faith and that it is intended to speed up development in the country.

KAMPALA: Police authorities have warned civil society groups and Opposition politicians against holding “illegal campaigns” opposing the removal of age limit from the 1995 Constitution.
Addressing a joint news conference in Kampala on Friday, a coalition of civil society groups announced nation-wide rallies against attempts to remove Uganda’s “last kidney”. The reference to a kidney denotes unproven ploys in the corridors of power to amend Article 102b of the Constitution, 12 years after the removal of the term limits in 2005.

Not relenting
Police spokesperson Asan Kasingye, however, vowed to block unauthorised Opposition and civil society anti-age limit removal campaigns and spelt out conditions they must fulfil before they are allowed to traverse the country.
AIGP Kasingye said anything that contravenes the law would not be allowed, warning that “civil society leaders should first engage the police before they embark on their national-wide activities or else they will be stopped.”

“We have just cleared the [Forum for Democratic Change party ] FDC members about their activities. We also have no problem with civil society activities as long as they engage us and we get to know their programme,” he said.

Civil society’s take
At the news conference, Ms Irene Ovonji Odida, the Fida-Uganda chief executive officer, accompanied by several other civil society leaders, said they are going to move to different parts of the country to educate the public on why they should reject age limit and land acquisition proposals.
“The framers of the Constitution considered the political history of this country and that was why they put term limit and age limit. This was to ensure the citizens have a right to reject rulers and chose leaders,” Ms Odida said.

The civil society members equated age limit removal to raping the Constitution and donating the country’s “last kidney” to President Museveni. They said the first kidney that the citizens sacrificed to Mr Museveni was when he removed the term limits.
On Wednesday, President Museveni, however, scorned at those campaigning for the removal of the presidential age limit, saying he was not involved. He said if the proposal comes up, it would be discussed accordingly.

Dr Livingstone Ssewanyana, the executive director of Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), said the public should understand that keeping quiet won’t help them but would instead send back the country to its past political turmoil.
“Some people have characterised us as idle people because we are protesting the lifting of the age limit. But we want to tell you we are not idle but concerned citizens. We should protect the Constitution as a tool that protects us from police oppression,” Mr Ssewanyana said.

The civil society also called upon Ugandans to reject the proposed land Bill that if passed as law, it would empower government to take citizens’ land for government projects before compensation.
The Lands minister, Ms Betty Amongi, however, insists that the proposed land amendments is in good faith and that it is intended to speed up development in the country.