BY Tom Mugisha, tom.mugisha@alleastafrica.com
KAMPALA – Eight MPs were on Friday thrown out of the ongoing National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus over their opposition to the removal of presidential age limit.
According to Daily Monitor newspaper, Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa read out the names of Seven MPs and ordered them to immediately withdraw from the Caucus meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister Conference Hall.
The ejected MPs are Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga County), Barnabas Tinkasimire (Buyaga West), John Baptist Nambeshe (Manjiya County), Gaffa Mbwatekamwa (Kasambya County), Patrick Nsamba (Kassanda County), Sylvia Rwabwogo (Kabarole District) and Acidiri James (Maracha East).
Kinkizi West MP James Kaberuka was also thrown out of the Caucus after he asked President Museveni why GCW Ruth Nankabirwa had thrown out MPs opposed to the removal of age limit.
President Museveni arrived mid-afternoon and is expected to put up a spirited defence of the removal of age limit.
The Special Forces Command (SFC) have ringed off all the OPM precincts.
Article 102(b) has now become a source of controversy after Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi tabled the Constitutional ( Amendment ) (No. 2) Bill, 2017 that seeks to remove the clause which caps the presidential age at 75 years.
The bill has been strongly opposed by the Opposition, a section of the ruling National Resistence Movement (NRM) party MPs, Law dons, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), some religious leaders among others. Those opposed to the bill argue that it seeks to allow President Museveni rule for life.
