Local leaders welcome Niwagaba Bill proposals
In the spot light. Ndorwa East Member of Parliament Wilfred Niwagaba (centre) is welcomed by his constituents at a community ceremony last month. PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA.
What you need to know:
Some leaders say presidential term limits will enable leaders be efficient and help minimise dictatorship
A section of leaders from Kigezi Sub-region have backed the move by the Ndorwa East Member of Parliament, Mr Wilfred Niwagaba, to introduce a Bill on reinstatement of the presidential term limits, among other proposals.
Mr Niwagaba discussed the proposals on FM radio station in Kabale Town on Saturday. He said he intends to present them to Parliament this week.
Responding to the proposals in an interview, the Kanungu District vice chairman, Mr Gad Byomuhangi, argued that term limits help to tame bad leaders who may want to cling to power using government resources and institutions.
“I am happy that the Ndorwa East MP came up with these proposals which I encourage Parliament to support and pass into law for the good of our country. Presidential term limits are very important for our country,” Mr Byomuhangi said on Sunday.
“The office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) should be scrapped since the LC3 chairpersons are the heads of security in their sub-counties. Why not empower the LC5 chairpersons to head the district security committee?”.
Mr Byomuhangi said the election of the President, MPs and LC5 chairpersons should be held on the same day to reduce government expenditure on multiple elections.
He, however, insists that the army should have representatives in Parliament because it is (army) a unique intuition.
The Rubanda District vice chairman, Mr Pastoli Twinomuhangi, said: “All countries neighbouring Uganda have Presidential term limits, why not Uganda? Holding elections for LC5 chairpersons on the same day with that of presidential and parliamentary candidates saves government money and gives time to the citizens to concentrate on development issues instead of a prolonged electoral process.”
The Kabale District secretary for finance and planning, Mr Johnson Baguma, said term limits will enable Ugandans test leadership abilities of other aspiring leaders.
The secretary for health at Kisoro District council, also district councillor for Nyundo Sub-county, Mr Izidol Tumusiime, said presidential term limits will save Ugandans from dictators in future.
Mr Robert Byamugisha Kakuru, the chief executive officer for Kick Corruption Out of Uganda, a civil society organisation that empowers citizens to fight corruption, said presidential term limits motivate a serving president to work for the people well knowing that his term of office will end after a specific time frame.
