Ugandan Lawmakers Detained by Police during the Presidential Age Limit Debate in Parliament

Ugandan Opposition Lawmakers being ejected from parliament after protesting the bill to scrap off the presidential age limit.

Kampala, Uganda

A proposed bill to scrap off the presidential age limit for Uganda was met with stiff opposition. Two opposition lawmakers were bungled into security trucks while trying to enter parliament. An additional six MPS opposed to the bill had been barred from participating in Monday's parliamentary proceedings.

Despite the chaos, the bill passed overwhelmingly with 317 votes for to 97 against. The passage of the bill will make the incumbent president, Yoweri Museveni who is currently 73, eligible to run for elections in 2021. This is not the first time that the president has circumvented the constitution to stay in power. In 2005 a two-term limit was scrapped to allow Mr. Museveni to stand for a third term.But that limit has been reinstated following criticism that Mr. Museveni could now become president for life.

President Museveni has been in power for more than three decades. He seized power through a military coup. His party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ran Uganda as a de facto one-party state until a referendum in 2005 which brought multipartyism. He won presidential elections in 1996, and again in 2001, 2006 and 2011.

Critics blame the president for promoting nepotism in government. His wife holds a ministerial position in the cabinet. His son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whom many agree is being groomed to succeed his father, was appointed as commander of Uganda's special forces. There is also massive corruption in government, poor service delivery, poor pay for the country's civil servants, poor infrastructure, an alcoholic epidemic and an education system that is wanting.

Mr Museveni is serving his fifth term in office. He is currently the third longest serving president after Cameroon's Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

African leaders are infamous for not wanting to leave power. The behavior could have been excusable if the leaders had a good track record. Unfortunately, their record is appalling. There is massive inequality, high unemployment especailly among the youth and corruption that is so widespread that it becomes a major risk for the destabilization of the country.

The world has progressed and it seems that African leaders are stuck in the past, unsure or unwilling to embrace change. We here at the briefing room stand with the people of Uganda and their right to choose their representative rather than beingorced to accept the status quo who have disappointed them and held back their aspirations. Aluta Continua