There was chaos in the Ugandan parliament on Tuesday after Members of Parliament engaged in a scuffle following claims that one of them brought a gun into the lawmaking chamber.
The MPs had gathered to debate the controversial removal of presidential age limit clause in the country’s constitution. The debate over the bill was deferred from last week to this week.
The speaker of the parliament ordered for a search to be conducted after the allegation of an MP coming into the chamber with a gun. The state minister for water, Ronald Kibuule was among those accused of coming into the house with a gun.
He denied the claims angrily. A scuffle broke out shortly with lawmakers seen throwing chairs and attacking each other out of anger.
VIDEO: A brawl inside Parliament; some members toss chairs #AgeLimit #NBSUpdates pic.twitter.com/QayTh4KONX
— NBS Television (@nbstv) September 26, 2017
Demonstrations were held last week in Uganda as critics of the country’s President, Yoweri Museveni protest attempts to change the constitution and remove the presidential term limit of 75 years.
Members of Parliament from the ruling National Resistance Movement voted unanimously in favour of the motion seeking to amend the Constitution to remove the age limit.
President Museveni, 72, would not be allowed by the current Constitution to seek re-election in 2021 should he wish to since he would be over 75 years old during the next election.
The latest move is seen as a major step in doing away with this age limit and the biggest beneficiary would be the President.
If the amendment is successful, it will be the second major change to the constitution of Uganda which has lasted for 20 years.
The previous major change to the constitution was the removal of the term limits in 2005 which prolonged President Museveni’s stay in power.
Mr. Museveni has been in power since 1986.
Source: Africafeeds.com
