Hard pressed by internal rebellion that is threatening to split Uganda’s ruling party, the government is in the final stages of drafting a constitutional amendment that would not only clip the wings of parliament but also hand the president more powers.

The amended law would lead to expulsion of vocal and critical lawmakers from parliament, effectively thwarting Legislature’s efforts to assert its authority and oversight function, and rendering it submissive to the president.

Attorney-General Peter Nyombi told The EastAfrican of “a number of amendments lined up, and one to Article 83 is one of those”.

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), whose parliamentary retreat kicked off on Friday at the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi, was also expected to propose amendments that would give the president more powers to dissolve the House should a deadlock between it and the Executive arise.

The EastAfrican has learnt that the proposals, which are likely to cause a backlash from government critics, have been brought before cabinet but remained a well guarded secret.

The law provides that an MP shall vacate their seat if they quit the party that sponsored them or (for those who came to parliament as independent candidates) join a party.

Those NRM parliamentarians who have given the party leadership nightmares with their dissenting views retained their seats because one is only deemed to have deserted their party if they so declare. Holding views contrary to the official stand does not constitute leaving the party.

According to NRM insiders, the law makes it difficult to enforce party discipline. The party’s leadership therefore wants loss of a parliamentary seat to be the ultimate punishment for indiscipline. Currently, the worst punishment, as per the NRM constitution, is expulsion from the party.

Should the amendment sail through, expulsion of such MPs from a party would lead to automatic loss of their seats.

The proposals follow a standoff between parliament and President Yoweri Museveni since the death of the Butaleja woman MP, Ms Cerinah Nebanda, on December 14 last year.

READ: State, parliament set for showdown

The MPs accused the government of complicity in her death after the State sabotaged a private forensic investigation commissioned by parliament by arresting Dr Sylvester Onzivua as he attempted to fly out to South Africa with samples.

READ: Museveni ‘meddling’ fuel backlash of Nebanda’s death

The pathologist has since been charged with abuse of office and suspended from duty while a host of MPs have been arrested and charged with crimes ranging from incitement to violence to abuse of office. Others spent the festive season in hiding.

President Museveni lost his cool over the matter, calling MPs who pointed fingers at the government “fools, liars and idiots”.

This prompted the MPs to petition the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, to reconvene the House, which is currently on recess, to discuss the standoff — something the president has vowed will happen “over my dead body”.

READ: Museveni clash with parliament now heads for EALA petition

The changes to the law are, therefore, seen to be aimed at keeping MPs, particularly those in NRM, in check.

But pushing them through parliament may not be easy.

“If those (constitutional amendment) proposals ever succeed, then I will accept the President’s description that there are idiots in parliament. I would not expect members of NRM to approve a proposal allowing the president to dissolve the House. Somebody gives you a rope with which to hang yourself and you take it?” posed Deputy Shadow Attorney-General Medard Lubega Sseggona, adding that if the proposals ever became law it “would be the worst tyranny to the country”.

Separately, constitutional law expert Prof Fredrick Ssempeebwa, one of the framers of the current constitution, said passing the amendment would be tantamount to “taking us back to the dark ages where the president would be the one controlling everything”.

Some NRM MPs critical of the government have skipped the retreat, saying attendance made no sense since earlier resolutions had not been implemented. But some said they would attend so as to confront the president, the party chairman.

“Indiscipline begins with the party leadership. The President is practising double standards. We are condemning corruption and he is shielding the corrupt. He convenes the party caucus to shield people under investigation. At one of the retreats we said the Prime Minister should relinquish the role of Secretary-General so that we get someone fully committed to the party; two years down the road he has not done so. What indiscipline is worse than that?” Lwemiyaga County MP Thoedore Sekikubo said.

Political implosion

The political implosion comes hot on the heels of suspension of aid by major donors after plunder of funding for a project to rehabilitate the war-torn North came to light.

Some insider party analysts said the growing rebellion hinged on failure by ministers to play their role in the House — an indictment against Premier Amama Mbabazi, who doubles as leader of government business, and Vice-President Edward Ssekandi.

They also accuse the Speaker of being a populist, playing to the gallery “at the expense of party interests.”