- Parliament to unseat cultural leaders
- MPs to
decide on third term
- Presidential, parliamentary polls on same day
- Govt
accepts regional governments
- Dual
citizenship recommended
- IGG
and Human Rights offices separate
PARLIAMENT — The government has recommended
that Parliament unseat traditional leaders who violate the
Constitution under a proposed new governmental
reorganisation.
![]() |
| NONE ABOVE THE LAW: Justice Minister Janat
Mukwaya leaves Parliament yesterday (Photo by John Nsimbe
). |
“The
President can be impeached, MPs can be recalled and LCs too have their
share,” Justice Minister Janat Mukwaya said yesterday while presenting
the Cabinet White Paper on the Constitutional Review Commission report
yesterday.
“The only people above the law are traditional leaders.
In the wisdom of government, these people should also be brought under
the law.”
She
added: “The traditional or cultural leader is subject to the
Constitution and if he violates the Constitution, he will be removed
from office by Parliament.”
MPs
reacted with shock when Ms Mukwaya made the recommendation. Murmurs
and laughter rippled through the chambers and the public gallery, both
filled to capacity.
It was,
perhaps, the most controversial of several recommendations the
minister presented for handling what several MPs called a historical
debate about changing the structure of government.
Other
recommendations in the Cabinet paper included:
- Acceptance of the principle of dual citizenship
- Handling the change from the Movement political system to
multiparty political system by an amendment under Article 74.
- Allowing the matter of limiting the number of terms the
President could serve to be decided by Parliament.
- Conducting presidential, parliamentary and districts LC5
elections the same day by secret ballot with all adults allowed to
vote.
- Retaining, separating and allowing the independent existence
of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the Inspectorate of
Government and the Electoral Commission.
- Letting the Public Service Commission appoint and discipline
the CAO.
Despite strong reaction in the Chambers to the
recommendations, there was little debate about them. House leaders
instead urged MPs to read, study and talk over the ideas with their
constituents. Mukwaya said the White Paper would go up on the
ministry's website, though the number of paper copies she could make
would be limited by her budget.
The
Cabinet recommendation about recalling or removing traditional and
cultural leaders seems likely to touch off a bitter dispute between
government and Buganda kingdom officials.
The Mengo
establishment already has been involved in protracted talks with the
government on federo which recently hit a deadlock. Mengo also lost
out in the proposed composition of the Lukiiko.
Mengo
wanted to retain the current composition of the Lukiiko, which is
comprised of the Kabaka nominees, Bataka appointees and Saza chiefs,
but Cabinet recommended creating regional governments.
“The
general principle is that a regional government must be managed
democratically in areas where there is no traditional or cultural
leader as well as, in areas where there is a traditional or cultural
leader,” Mukwaya said.
She said in areas with no traditional or
cultural leader, one political and administrative regional council
would be appointed. In areas with such leaders, there would be either
two regional councils, one political and administrative and the other
cultural, or, one political and administrative council in which
cultural interests are represented.
The White
Paper makes no mention of Mengo's bargain for the 9,000 square miles
and the return of the capital city, Kampala to Buganda.
Mengo
Local Government Minister, Mr. Arthur Bagunywa responded angrily to
the Cabinet proposals. “I view that as a move by the State to amass
unnecessary powers. The Kingdom leadership would sit soon to discuss
the contents,” he added.
Mengo at
the height of the federo talks threatened to withdraw its support from
the government. The political undercurrents between the government and
Mengo are reminiscent of President Milton Obote 1 abolition of
kingdoms in 1967, after he clashed with Kabaka Muteesa II.
Muteesa
wanted to retain political authority, a move Obote interpreted as a
ploy by the Kabaka to overthrow him. | 
