MABIRIZI: Museveni was not guided on Age Limit Bill

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | One of the petitioners challenging the 2017 Constitutional Amendment Act says President Yoweri Museveni was not guided before he signed the bill into law in December last year.

Male Mabiriizi Kiwanuka, in his submission to the Constitutional Court hearing in Mbale district on Wednesday evening, said the President of Uganda was never guided on Assenting to the bill..

Mabiriizi submitted that there was no Referendum for the the people to say they agreed to amend the Constitution.

Jackson Lutwatwa, one of the lawyers representing the petitioners added that President Museveni assented to the Bill when the Certificate of Compliance issued by the Speaker of Parliament was invalid.

Lutwatwa added that the second Certificate was issued but there had not been any referendum. He concurred with Mabiriizi saying that the President should not have assented to the Bill that, among others, removed presidential age limits, restored the two-term limits and extended the term of office of parliament and the president from five to seven years.

Lutwatwa pointed out that the bill the president assented to has illegalities and irregularities whereby the certificates are invalid.

Court was on Wednesday handling issue number 8, 11, and 12 of the petition.

The Constitutional Court on Monday 9, 2018 began hearing of the petition challenging the removal presidential age limits from the Constitution.

A panel of five judges led by Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo is hearing the petition at Mbale High Court. The other justices on the bench are Remmy Kasule, Elizabeth Musoke, Cheborion Barishaki and Kenneth Kakuru.