Museveni rejects A-Level qualification for mayors
Local Government minister Raphael Magezi (left) with the interim Fort Portal Mayor, the Rev Kintu Willy Muhanga (centre), and other officials at the launch of the city yesterday. PHOTO/ ALEX ASHABA
President Museveni has returned to Parliament the Local Governments Amendment Bill,2019, rejecting the clauses that provide for A-Level qualifications for some leaders that want to contest for local governments positions.
The qualifications targeted city mayors, municipal mayors, city division mayors, municipal division chairpersons and town council chairpersons.
Members of Parliament argued that these leaders head self-accounting administrative units, and need to understand the documents prepared by the technical staff.
Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, told the House yesterday that the President had assented to the other legislations, including the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill, 2019,
“What has not been assented to is the Local Governments Amendment Bill, which will be returned to Parliament for reconsideration,” Prof Kamuntu said.
He did not give details of the clauses that have been rejected.
However, sources told Daily Monitor that Mr Museveni opposed the issue of qualifications because it blocks potential leaders from vying for office.
“Most of the current leaders who have served well were going to be left out because they do not have these high qualifications. How can those leaders in local governments have the same qualifications with MPs whose role is making the law?” the source asked.
In March, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, the Government Chief Whip, said she would be happy if the President does not assent to the Bill, which carried “restrictions” on good leadership.
“Even in 1997 when we enacted the Local Governments Act, I was opposed to those restrictions. But corruption in public service is done by educated people. I hope the President doesn’t assent to that and it comes back for us to continue discussing it,” she said then.
Meanwhile, with the President assenting to the other Bills such as the Presidential Elections Act, it means that all presidential candidates will declare to the EC their source of funding within 14 days after nomination.
Under the Act, polling time remains between 7am and 4pm, campaign rally time will be between 7am and 6pm, the distribution of election materials will be within 48 hours before polling time, the use of cameras and phones at a polling station will be allowed, and no gazetted polling stations inside the restricted areas such as army barracks.
The transmission of results from the districts to the national tally centre shall include the district returning officer copying in the presidential candidates, the participating political parties and official agents of candidates.
New administration units
The assent to the Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill means that only Gulu, Mbarara, Jinja, Masaka, Fort Portal, Arua and Mbale cities, which became operational on July 1, will have MPs elected in February next year.
The same law means that cities, districts and municipalities that become operational after the General Election will wait to vote for MPs in 2026. Such administrative units will take effect in July 2025.
State Media
It is now illegal for a manager of a State owned media to unequally allocate time to all presidential candidates and such a person upon being found guilty would be imprisoned or fined.
Signing the Electoral Commissions Amendment Bill,2019, means that a district returning officer will be removed from office if the court finds that he or she was found liable for cancellation of results due to electoral malpractices.
