Age limit Bill: "I received a bag of sugar, sh1m"

 PIC: Kilak North MP, Anthony Akol addressing a news conference at Parliament. Photo by Miriam Namutebi

The Kilak North MP, Anthony Akol has confessed having received a 50kg bag of sugar and shs1m to support a private members Bill which seeks to lift the age limit for judges.

Akol said that he and 26 other MPs were called Crested Crane hotel under the guise of meeting as the Parliamentary forum on food security on August 23.

The MP has returned the bag of sugar and the money through the office of the Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

Nakifuma County MP Kafeero Ssekitoleko last week presented a motion to amend the Constitution to that effect.

The Bill among other things seeks to amend the Constitution to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Judges from 65 to 75 years.

To separate the powers and roles of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament as well as creation of an independent office of the Deputy Attorney General and remove the limit on the tenure of commissioners of the Independent Electoral Commission who are entitled to 2 terms.

Akol said that Kafeero and Iganga MP Peter Mugema were at the center of convening the meeting that was later shifted from the hotel to Mayuge sugar factory where the alleged bribe was given to them in form of transport refund.

Without disclosing the names of other MPs, Akol asserted that they were supposed to receive shs10 million but the figure was reverted after realizing he was an opposition MP.