Monica Amoding Dissents as NRM MPs Pass Motion to Lift Presidential Age Limit

245 NRM Members of Parliament have finally resolved to lift the constitutional Presidential age limit to allow President Yoweri Museveni contest for Uganda’s top office come 2021. In a meeting attended by 246 MPs held on Tuesday at Parliament’s Conference Hall A, a sweeping majority made the decision which has recently been sticky across political circles.

A total of 245 members voted in favor of the motion which was moved by Kyaka MP Jackson Rwakafuzi while only one, Monica Amoding the Kumi woman MP dissented.

Uganda’s constitution places a cap of age 75 for one to be eligible to contest for Presidency. As the law currently stands, President Museveni who is currently 73 won’t qualify to run in the next election.

Sources who attended the meeting refered to as a consultative meeting on several amendments told SoftPower that members agreed that a motion be tabled seeking leave of the house to introduce a private members bill that will scrap the age cap.

They resolved to present the motion to Parliament come Thursday.

Hon. Amoding said she moved into the meeting without prior knowledge of the intention.

A source told this site that she later stormed out of the meeting in contest of the decision.

The opposition and civil society have in the recent months widely criticized the move to lift the Presidential age limit but NRM party members denied the claims saying the debate hadn’t been formally introduced.

Addressing a press conference at State House Entebbe weeks ago, President Museveni also dismissed the opposition’s claims saying he had been told that the pro-age limit removal advocates had embarked on counter political action after the opposition touted false claims that the NRM was planning to table an amendment to scrap the age limit from the constitution.