By Our Reporter
Aruu County Member of Parliament Hon. Odonga Otto has described the whole idea of a constitutional review as a bad taste for entire Pearl of Africa.
He said that the constitution was already raped in parliament and the victim is still under recovery.
He says this move is just a waste of tax payer’s money because the most reasonable thing to do right now is to reinstate the key pillars of the constitution.
“It doesn’t require any review. What Ugandans want is the return of age limit and term limits. This institution of Parliament is time bad,” He said.
The verbal lawmaker insists that the people are waiting to chase these MPs to go home come 2021 citing that the issue isn’t timing since time can always be created.
“Ugandans are grieved on the conduct of their members of parliament. This parliament is like cows, it’s more of how much is there. When the president wants something, he just calls them to State House and it is done,” He said, adding that one can’t say we have democracy in Uganda unless you’re from Mars, maybe you should remove that outfit you’re wearing.
Sections of the media has reported that the Justice minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, has nominated a 14-member team to review the Constitution with a view to harmonize the different sections on the backdrop of the Constitution Amendment Bill that saw the age limit for the President removed from the law books and a host of bills passed in recent years such as the Public Order Management Act.
But experts said that there is no hope that recommendations by the team will be adopted given that those proposed by the Fredrick Sempebwa Constitutional Review commission of 2003 have never been implemented.
“I believe that a constitution without the culture of constitutionalism can’t last long, otherwise, this country will start being pulled apart. The political will has got to be generated by people who must send a message that the constitution is being undermined,” said Democratic Party President Norbert Mao.
“The only discussion for Uganda is the post-Museveni era. I strongly believe that Uganda’s biggest hindrance is President Museveni and the only question for Uganda is a peaceful transition of power. All substances have a boiling point, Ugandans just haven’t reached theirs but I can guarantee there is one. Not having a boiling point is totally unscientific. If you settle for the crumbs rather than fight for the whole loaf, then enough crumbs will be thrown in your direction to distract you,” he added.
He was speaking during NBS TV headline political talk show, the Front Line, hosted by Charles Odongtho and featuring the likes of Odonga Otto (Aruu South) and Theodore Sekikubo (Lwemiyaga). Also present was Jude Byabakama, a city lawyer, and Ofwono Opondo, the executive director of the Uganda Media Centre.
