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MP breaks ranks, seeks return of term limit

Saturday September 23 2017
Dr Sam Lyomoki

Dr Sam Lyomoki, a long serving MP representing workers. He is working with others in the party on his motion for a Bill titled: The Museveni Succession, Transition and Immunities Bill 2017.” PHOTO | DAILY MONITOR

By GAAKI KIGAMBO

In a new twist on the controversy surrounding machinations to change the Constitution to remove age limits — a move seen as designed to benefit long serving Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni — another member of his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has written to the Speaker of Parliament Rebbecca Kadaga seeking to introduce two new Bills for Museveni’s retirement and return of term limits to the Constitution.

Museveni unsure?

Dr Sam Lyomoki, a long serving MP representing workers has told The EastAfrican, he is working with others in the party on his motion for a Bill titled: The Museveni Succession, Transition and Immunities Bill 2017.”

Lyomoki has also proposed to table a second Bill to restore term limits in the Constitution. Term limits were removed in 2005.

Dr Lyomoki filed his notice with the offices of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Clerk to Parliament, as stamps of receipt on a copy of the document seen by this newspaper confirmed.

In the interview with The EastAfrican, Dr Lyomoki confirms the initiative; “basically what we are saying is that the time is now for us to move in that direction because Museveni is not sure of what will happen to him if he leaves power.

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“Ugandans who support him are also not sure if he will be arrested after he leaves or what will happen to him, that is why we think it is important that discuss how we transition from him,” he said.

“The thing is, whether we change the Constitution now to remove age limits or not, at one time he will have to go and the fear is if he goes (without a proper plan) there might be problems.”

Packaging his idea as a kind of scheme of a third force, Dr Lyomoki said he was working with a number of colleagues some of whom are not yet ready to come out in the open.

He took a swipe at his colleagues agitating for deletion of the age limit, “most of these people you see jumping around and singing, they don’t love the President, they love what is in his hand.”

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