Kampala, Uganda | URN | President Yoweri Museveni has assented to an amendment to the Local Government Act Cap 243, removing the lower and upper age limit for lower Local Council (LC) leaders.
On Tuesday 29th, September 2020, Parliament passed an amendment to the Act, removing the lower and upper age limit for lower local council leaders.
The Act initially capped the age for contestants for LCIII chairperson positions, sub-county, municipal or city division level at 30 and 75. As a result, several aspirants have been blocked by the Electoral Commission in the on-going nomination exercise.
Parliament suspended a rule that requires that a bill should be brought back to the house after 14 days from the day it was published and the requirement that a bill should be sent to the committee for scrutiny for a maximum of 45 days, to consider the amendment before the Commission closes the nomination window.
The bill was tabled by the Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi after Parliament gave him an ultimatum. This is after many MPs were shocked to learn that when the age limit was lifted for the President, for the local council elections were not lifted.
Now this publication has learnt President Museveni assented to the bill two days after it was passed.
The President by law has up to 30 days to respond to the bill. According to the letter, the President assented to the Bill on Thursday, October 1.
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The amendment now means all municipal, town councils and sub-county councillors whose nominations were rejected will be able to nominate following the recent extension.
The Electoral Commission (EC) extended the nomination exercise to Monday 5th, October.
Isaac Galiwango, a 28-year-old, an aspirant for the LC3 position in Nakawa says many people had lost hope thinking they would not be nominated.
