KAMPALA – Alliance for Finance Monitoring, Walezi Wa Katiba Foundation, and Peter Magelah Gwayaka, an advocate on Tuesday ran to Constitutional Court seeking nullification City Woman Representatives and Members of Parliament representing Municipalities seats contending that they offend the constitution.
The trio says that Article 78(1) (c) of the Constitution provides that Parliament shall consist of—one-woman representative for every district and that Article 176 provides for the local government system which includes a district, town council, sub-county and other administrative units such as a Municipality.
They contend that Article 181 (3) provides that the electoral areas will be demarcated and ensure that town councils, sub-county, municipality or its equivalent is represented in the district council.
“Article 207 defines a local government to include a district council, urban council, sub-county council or any other unit prescribed by law to replace the district, urban and sub county councils.”
Their lawyer Gawaya Tegule told the press that they are aggrieved by the fact the Women Representatives for the cities are holding the seats in Parliament illegally and unconstitutionally.
“The Petitioners are further aggrieved by the fact that Municipalities which are local government administrative units are constituencies with seats in the national Parliament,” he noted.
Henry Muguzi – CEO, Alliance for Finance Monitoring said that they have over the last five years expressed concerns over the rising cost of politics, the cost of which has imposed a burden on not only politically elected leaders themselves, but on the taxpayer.
“One of the drivers of the high cost of politics is that institution called the parliament that we believe is bloated, the numbers of which we think are overwhelming and uncalled for. So as one of the things the interventions we’re making today, we have looked at those positions that we think are inconsistent with the Constitution.”
“When you calculate, you come up with about 20 to 23 MPs. Now over five years, these men and women would have bagged over 50 billion shillings – enough money to construct 10 seed schools at the secondary school level, 20 primary schools, it can construct about 30 health centres, it can also construct over 50 kilometres of paved roads,” he added.
These seek;
An order that the said City Woman Representatives vacate their offices with immediate effect as the seat is non-existent.
An order that the said Members of Parliament representing Municipalities vacate their seats as they offend the constitution.
An Order that the Members of Parliament representing the 20 new Constituencies created out of the cities in 2020 vacate their 1 seats as they offend the Constitution.
An order prohibiting the Electoral Commission from conducting elections of City Woman Representatives as this is not provided 1 for.
Any other reliefs that this Honourable court may deem fit.
