KAMPALA–Following the difficulties NRM legislators are facing in selling the lifting of the Presidential age limit in their areas, the party leadership has this morning deployed senior cadres to do the job.
Senior party leaders led by Hajji Moses Kigongo, the national vice chairperson of the party, will be traversing the country talking about the importance of amending Article 102(b) of the Constitution.
Kigongo will handle greater Masaka region while the Prime Minister, Dr Rukahana Rugunda, is heading to Kigezi sub-region.
According to Rogers Mulindwa, the party communication officer, the NRM chairman President Museveni directed the senior cadres of the party to take a lead in popularizing the project.This exercise is expected to be done within seven working days.
Asked whether the party senior cadres were facilitated, Mulindwa said they are financially stable, adding that they can even buy for themselves air tickets to go to London and handle assignments if they are deployed there.
Our senior cadres are not badly off,” he added.
But sources within the party revealed that to silence the divergence views on the age limit, some senior party members were promised that their debts will be cleaed once they endorse the party decision.
Last month, MPs were given Shs29m to conduct consultations though Matia Kasaija, the Finance minister when he appeared on CBS, a local radio station, said he didn’t know the source of the money.
“I have never approved that money,”Kasaija revealed.
But the Paliament director f communications said the money given to MPs came from MPs emoluments.
Many legislators are nursing wounds for trying to nip the age limit motion in the bud. The legislators were reportedly assaulted by security personnel after they refused to vacate the House following the Speaker’s directive that they vacate the chamber.
Anti-age limit crusader deployed
The team deployed also includes NRM Central Executive Committee members who had hitherto opposed the age limit project. They include Brig. Matayo Kyaligonza, Uganda’s ambassador to Burundi and Godfrey Nyakana, the former mayor of Kampala Central.
Kyaligonza will traverse the Rwenzori region together with Dr Robert Rukkari. Efforts to reach him were futile but Nyakana, while appearing on a local television yesterday said he is ready to do the job.
Nyakana will traverse Kampala city with a team headed by Rose Namayanja, the party treasurer and Dr. Hassan Galiwango.
Nyakana’s family has been battling with Jennifer Musisi , the city executive director over the management of Centenary Park gardens. Musisi insists that Nalongo Estate Ltd, the firm running the park, its contract expired, but the managers of the firm are also saying they have a running contract with KCCA.
The matter was forwarded to the President, PML Daily learnt about it. It’s not clear whether this might have forced Nyakana to change his mind and started to support the age limit, so that his wife’s firm be allowed to continue managing the Centenary Park.
