Last year the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga deferred the controversial age limit bill presented to the Hansard by Nakifuma lawmaker Robert Kafeero Ssekitoreko.
This bill sought to amend the constitution to increase the retirement age for judges, and also remove term limits for commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC).
However, opposition MPs had expressed concern that this was a decoy to amend Article 102(b) that limits the president’s age at 75 years.
The latest information Trumpet News has gathered indicates President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is preparing a cabinet reshuffle due to next month which will see the current Attorney General William Byaruhanga replaced.
Our reliable State House source who wished to remain unnamed said Byaruhanga’s successor is likely to be an Easterner who has not been actively involved in politics. Asked for more details, our source declined saying it could pre-empt the process.
“Four names have been submitted and security is vetting them,” a source said. Adding that, the impending cabinet reshuffle solely targets the attorney general slot.
Asked why so, our source said Museveni is apparently repositioning himself for 2021 where he intends to seek a re-election for the 6 term.
Well, aware that he will be abrogating the constitution because it guarantees retirement at 75 years and the NRM kingpin will have made 77 years of age.
The source said that Museveni plans to appoint an Easterner as attorney general who will play a role in recommending Parliament to debate whether to amend the constitution and abolish the age limit.
“If this bill is tabled by the current attorney general or his deputy who all happen to be westerners it will cause havoc in Parliament and among members of the public thus drawing the country into ethnic lines,” a source added. If approved that age limit legislation will not be enforced it means that Museveni will be ruling the country for 40 years.
Whereas members of the opposition grumble that Museveni has illegitimately ruled Uganda, he responds saying Ugandans democratically elects him into office.
When contacted for a comment, Museveni’s spokesman Don Wanyama couldn’t be reached as his known phone was switched off. Equally the minister of information Hon Frank Tumwebaze’s phone couldn’t be reached.