Museveni signs age limit bill into law

President Museveni has signed into law the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill No. 2 of 2017 popularly known as the age limit bill recently passed by Parliament.

Ms Linda Nabusayi, the President's press secretary confirmed to this reporter saying Mr Museveni signed the bill into an Act of Parliament on December 27 before sending communication on December 29, 2017.

This therefore, means that Mr Museveni, 73, can run for another term of office come 2021 presidential elections, should he choose to.

The signing comes amid calls from religious leaders and political activists urging the president to return the bill to Parliament.

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Museveni warned on signing age limit Bill

The Bill proposes the scrapping of the presidential age limit and extension of the tenure of Members of Parliament. It now awaits to be signed by the President.

Parliament on December 20, 2017 voted by majority of 317 MPs against 97 to change the Constitution and remove the 75-year age limit on the presidency and to extend the term of MPs from five to seven years.

The Archbishop of Gulu who doubles as the chairman of Episcopal conference John Baptist Odama, had, like other religious leaders, cautioned President Museveni against appending his signature on the bill.

Archbishop Odama had said if President Museveni signs the Bill knowing that it was passed without the views of majority Ugandans, he [Museveni] would be tormented by his conscience.

“If what has been passed by Parliament is not the view of the majority citizens, then let him not append his signature because it will later torture his conscience. But if it is the voice of the majority, let him append it,” Archbishop Odama said during an interview with Daily Monitor last Friday.

He said it would not be right for the President to act against his morality.