
UPF: Press Release – “Alleged ‘Ban’ of Age Limit Debate in Univresities by IGP” (15.07.2017)






“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” – Nelson Mandela
“Age limit debate is strictly in parliament, but not in schools or villages. It is supposed to be debated in parliament and should be among MPs,” he said” (…) “Kayihura instructed security personnel to work closely with the leadership of universities and students to keep law and order in and out of the campuses. “It was an embarrassment to security to see students carrying the coffin with the picture of the president in Mbarara. It showed there is no intelligence network in Mbarara,” Kayihura reportedly said during the meeting. The police chief also told police commanders to work closely with crime preventers. “You must work with crime preventers in your areas to make sure that you block local leaders from discussing the age limit bill with residents because the bill has not been tabled in parliament,” another source quoted Kayihura as saying” (Taremwa, 2017).
Clearly, if even a small mind like Gen. Kale Kayihura can understand the powers of his words. That only the elite and the selected people of the Parliament can talk about laws and extent of the powers within it. The constitution that binds the Republic and set the standard of all laws in the Republic. Are now under order by him to allow simply put talking about it or debated in villages, schools, surely in canteens unless an MP are present.
The IGP Kayihura is clearly showing arrogance and lack of understanding of the value of freedom of expression. He knows his intent and the extent of his powers. When he can take one of the most controversial and flamboyant changes of the constitution and push only to one venue. Like the bribed and subdued MPs would stand their ground and all defend the just cause. When their master, the same master that the IGP orders them to vote for his life Presidency.
This is supposed to happen in silence, not allowed to talk about and not debated is insane. It is beneath all common decency and what is seen as just. Certainly, age limit is a touchy subject, because with time Museveni will need as foreign health care treatment for his illnesses as President Mugabe. Therefore, the steady new Presidential Jets will come in handy and not only for showing off to his other totalitarian mates.
That the Police Force and their security organizations plans to block debates and talks in public about it is just bonkers. There are not anything sane about such a move and proves the volatile state of the National Resistance Movement, when it knows the people’s concern about this sort of provision and law. That only benefit President Museveni and the ones who gets paid to vote for it. This will only make more people outlaws, as the laws are more for the subject of President Museveni, than for the common good of the state.
This sort of measure only provides the totalitarian effort to pass a law for the sake of keeping the skeleton of NRM alive. Not providing more development or concern for service delivery. Since the delivery of this sort of constitutional amendment is only for the life of President Musveni. As it was when the Constitution it was amended to abolish term limits for the President.
Now if you become a group standing up against it, even if you’re a NRM Youth member or anything else. The Police will detain you and if you speak against the age limit, and they will hurt you. Since speaking against the age limit is speaking against the patriotic movement and the President. Who has all rights and reasons to stay in charge until his last breathe?
That is the message the Police sends. That the Police can within their means and functions to silence opposition towards a coming law. A law that is only for ONE man out of the millions living in Uganda. The Republic with this amendment only serves one purpose and one cause, the cause being Museveni and his lifelong Presidency. No succession or no change of Executive. Only him. Only him and no one else. Apparently, that is what the Police believes as well.
Since the MPs and Plenary, those sorts of debates is the only one allowed by the Police. The citizens has to silent and not talk, the debates at schools and in village councils are not allowed, this measure is supposed to stop the controversy and let it go away. Instead, this sort of act shows the lack of morals, common sense and even core freedoms that are now swept away, because the President needs it to be so. With the help of Police Force who enforce his rule.
The IGP Kayihura have tried in the past to lecture media how to work, opposition parties how to conduct their party functions, and the newest steer public agenda. The Old Man with the Hat is clearly ordering him to do so. So now the talk of this will not be in the open, but behind closed doors in people’s homes. If people get the wind of it in church or in a pub, it might get rumors that spreads to a Crime Preventer or a Police Officer, who will detain the fellow who did the forbidden: “speaking about the old man and his will to rule forever”. This are our days and times. That is the price of oppressive regime of the NRM and President Museveni. Who has no issues with silencing the people for his own gain! Peace.
Reference:
Taremwa, Johnson – ‘Kayihura ‘bans’ age limit debate in universities’ (14.07.2017) link: http://observer.ug/news/headlines/53841-kayihura-bans-age-limit-debate-in-universities.html

The Constitutional Amendment Bill has been criticized and created worry, since the National Resistance Movement (NRM) have worked for and to get their leader to stay in charge and executive as long as he pleases. That is the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. So the article 102 (b) could easily been seen as possible change to fit the life and the age of the aging President. Instead, the gazetted bill of retired Major General Kahinda Otafiire is about making it easier for the state to compensate and take land from civilians. Since they want to make more cheap and make it legal to take land. If so make it easier to settle in court. This is clearly making the road development and pipeline building cheaper, also giving the government more power. Just by looking at the text from the government. Take a look!
“The purpose of the Bill is to resolve the current problem of delayed implementation of Government infrastructure and investment projects due to disputes arising out of the compulsory land acquisition process. The problem of delayed Government projects has caused significant financial loss to the Government amounting to millions of dollars in penalties paid to road contractors for redundant machinery at construction or project sites as the courts attempt to resolve the disputes, most of which relate to quantum of compensation” (Otafiire, 2017).
Original Article 26:
“26. Protection from deprivation of property.
(1) Every person has a right to own property either individually or in association with others.
(2) No person shall be compulsorily deprived of property or any interest in or right over property of any description except where the following conditions are satisfied—
(a) the taking of possession or acquisition is necessary for public use or in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; and
(b) the compulsory taking of possession or acquisition of property is made under a law which makes provision for—
(i) prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation, prior to the taking of possession or acquisition of the property; and
(ii) a right of access to a court of law by any person who has an interest or right over the property” (Constitution of 8th October 1995)
Amendment of Article 26:
“(3) Where the owner of property or any person having any interest in or right over property objects to the compensation awarded under a law made under clause (2Xb), the Government or local government shall deposit with court for the property owner or any person having any interest in or right over the property, the compensation awarded for the property, and the Government or local government shall take possession of the property pending determination by the court of any dispute relating to the compensation” (Otafiire, 2017).
“(4) The owner of property or person having any interest in or right over the property shall have a right to access the compensation deposited with the court referred to in clause (3),at any time during the determination of the dispute” (Otafiire, 2017).
“(5) Parliament shall, by law, prescribe the time within which any dispute referred to in clause (3) shall be determined” (Otafiire, 2017).
So now the part of the article 2 (b) was already giving the citizens and land owners set of rights, but not telling how the procedure for compensation for possible value of the land and neither loss of possible costs of moving. The new part of article 26, is about giving the courts rights to find compensation and awards to fellow citizens property.
What is new is even as the pending award and compensation to the land owner, the government still has right to take possession of the land. Which means the government even if the land owner or the one who has the title of the land has to move before the case is settled in courts. This means that the government can cease the land and later pay the people who lives on the land. So if the state and need to build infrastructure or any other project, they can take possession of the land and pay-off the ones living there later.
The Parliament can put a time-table for the possible ending of land dispute, but the possession is already cleared by the state. Therefore, the loss of possession and pending time depends. The real issue isn’t only the dispute, but no consideration of the loss of title, livelihood or even the possible all other costs like moving to another property or housing. This should have been taken in consideration when writing new standards. This one only gives positives to the state, but the citizens and owners of land titles get the hurt.
It is easy to see the Republic/State are the ones winning with the change of article 26 in the constitution not the citizens. The changes of the law is only to benefit the state and the ones acting by orders of the state, not for the citizens. This should be itself worrying as there are no part that is positive for the citizens in the amendment. The land can be possessed and has to wait for the time-table put forward by the Parliament and within that time while the dispute happening hopefully get compensated. Clearly, this is only giving more powers to the state, while taking away the total ownership of land. Since the state can possibly take possession and pay the title-owner later. Peace.
Reference:
Otafiire, Kahinda – ‘Constitutional Amendment Bill of 2017’ – 08.06.2017 – Uganda Gazette No. 33, Volume CX, Bill Supplement No. 7










The National Resistance Movement and their henchmen are working hard to get this done in time. So their master and chief can continue to rule. The same they did when they abolished term limits in 2005. Before the 2006 General Election. The NRM and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni have made this into a sport of how to make the Constitution of 1995, a useless work of art. They can soon be used as a toilet paper, since the legal value get lost when it is amended to fit one mans paradigm, instead of fitting the whole Republic of Uganda. Previous Constitutions has been abolished and changed with the one made in 1995, because the 1962 and 1967 for instance had serious flaws, they also either gave limited presidential powers in the 1962 and abolished kingdoms in the 1967, while making the President an Executive as well in 1967. Now they are planing to amend it just for one man, which is insane. And it just talk of one article in the whole law. It is this one!
“Article 102: 102. Qualifications of the President.
A person is not qualified for election as President unless that person is—
a citizen of Uganda by birth;
not less than thirty-five years and not more than seventy-five years of age; and
a person qualified to be a member of Parliament” (Uganda Constitution of 1995),
It is the Article 102(b) “not less that thirty-five years and not more than seventy-five years of age”. This is the sentence and law that are planned to change. Since it doesn’t fit the aging body of President Museveni. The NRM are preoccupied with getting enough votes and finding the right code to change the one that is giving way to Museveni. The change isn’t the make the Republic better or governance better. It would be only because it fits the paradigm of Museveni. His life and his aging body.
This is not for betterment or making steady progress, this is so the NRM MPs and NRM Caucus, the review of the Constitution is only for the purpose of making the longevity of Museveni legal. So he doesn’t breach his own Constitution. Even it makes the Presidential parts and articles pointless. Make the law and the codes into perfect for him. Not making it wonderful for Ugandans, because this is making it so he can rule for life. This isn’t in solidarity or wishing to make a difference. Only because the President is soon 75 years old and he wishes to rule in old age like President Mugabe and others. That is the motivation. Nothing else, the rest is hogwash, bullshit and propaganda.
This will only benefit Museveni and the cronies who are loyal to him. No-one else… the only one benefiting is Museveni and his yellow party NRM. The abolishing of Presidential Age Limit isn’t for the greater good, it will not stop famine, higher inflation and battle unemployment. It will not create better development of agriculture or anything else. More or less making sure the State House and all the other powers will be Museveni to own. That is why he speaks of Ugandans and Ugandan values like he understands it all. Also, that he has to look into every single problem and sanctions provisions for the changes and who gets the needed help. No-one else matters since it has get the needed decision from the President.
President Museveni has a plan and that is to stay in power beyond his constitution for the second time. Changing it when needed be, there will clearly be happening because the Article 102 will be made for him. This has been talked about ages and now it will happen. If not before he turns 75 years old. Peace.