Museveni to summon MPs who voted against age limit removal

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Caucus will on Tuesday next week decide the fate of 28 of its Members of Parliament who voted against lifting of the Presidential age limits.

Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa said the legislators will receive a communication from the chairperson of the caucus and that the meeting will be a "normal on", not an extraordinary caucus.

The ruling party in December said it would discipline defiant members. This was after passing of the Constitutional (Amendment) Act 2017 that among other things removed the presidential age limits, reinstated term limits and increased the term of MPs from five to seven years.

Nankabirwa said the MPs had gone against the party position. She explained that the members have failed to understand how the multi-party dispensation works and are working against the party.

Some of the NRM MPs who voted against the bill are; Hellen Kahunde, Connie Nakayenze Galiwango, Norah Bigirwa, Anthony Ssemuli, Suzan Amero, Loy Katali and Henry Maurice Kibalya. Others are John Baptist Nambeshe, Barnabas Tinkasimire,Theodore Ssekikubo, James Rugi, Sylvia Rwabwogo and Alex Ruhunda among others.

Some of the MPs have vowed not to respond to Nankabirwa's call of having them disciplined.

James Rugi, the Kinkizi West MP says they did their part by communicating what their voters told them.

John Baptist Nambeshe, the Manjia County MP says although they are NRM Members, the caucus has been sidelining them. He says he will not appear before any disciplinary committee.

Tinkasimire, the Buyaga West MP says they are determined to resist what he called undemocratic tendencies and the supposed disciplinary meeting will not scare them. He says if NRM wants to suspend them, it should suspend his constituents.

A total of 315 MPs voted to lift the age limits while 62 opposed the bill.