Uganda MPs back on benches after brawl

UGANDA’s parliament resumed yesterday, a day after it was adjourned when a fistfight broke out between lawmakers.

Simmering tensions over a proposed bill to extend Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s hold on power led to a fistfight in Uganda’s Parliament on Tuesday.

The brawl erupted after an opposition lawmaker accused another lawmaker on the government’s side of carrying a gun which led to pushing and punching until the speaker ordered body searches.

Unable to establish order, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga adjourned the House of Parliament sitting to 2pm yesterday after opposition legislators continually interrupted an attempt by MP Raphael Magezi to present a motion removing the presidential age limit by singing Uganda’s national anthem.

Uganda’s current constitutional laws stipulate that presidential candidates must be no older than 75.

Museveni, 73, came to power in 1986 while the next presidential poll will be in 2021. Should the bill be passed he would be able to serve a third term in office.

This was the second time in five days that legislators interrupted parliament by singing the national anthem for more than 20 minutes to block the bill, despite Kadaga giving Magezi the nod to present the motion challenging the presidential age limits.