Museveni signs Kings Bill into law
Mar 07, 2011
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has signed the Institution of Traditional and Cultural Leaders Bill. The controversial Bill bars traditional and cultural leaders from participating in partisan politics.
By Joyce Namutebi
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has signed the Institution of Traditional and Cultural Leaders Bill. The controversial Bill bars traditional and cultural leaders from participating in partisan politics.
Gender, labour and social development minister Gabriel Opio under whose docket the Bill falls and the President’s press secretary, Lindah Nabusayi, yesterday confirmed that Museveni had signed the Bill.
Opio added that when he gets a copy of the Act, he would write a statutory instrument for it to be operational.
The minister is required to appoint a date by statutory instrument for the Act to come into force.
The Bill passed by Parliament last month with 15 major amendments gives effect to Article 246 of the Constitution which regulates the operations and conduct of traditional or cultural leaders.
According to the law, traditional and cultural leaders are barred from promoting or supporting a political party or political organisation or an individual in respect of political activities.
They are not allowed to make statements against the Government, opposition policies or programmes.
The law also bars them from making statements or comments on Bills or motions under consideration by Parliament with a view to influencing their outcome.
A traditional or cultural leader wishing to take part and seeking elective office shall abdicate his position in the institution not less than 90 days before nomination day in respect of that election,†the law states.
According to the law, a person who knowingly involves a traditional or cultural leader in partisan politics commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding sh480,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.
Subject to the Constitution, the institution of traditional or cultural leader may exist in any area of Uganda in accordance with the culture, norms and traditions or wishes and aspirations of the people to whom it applies.
A person shall not be installed as a traditional or cultural leader unless the person derives allegiance from birth or descent in accordance with Article 246(1) to (6) of the Constitution.
It is against the law for anyone to compel another to pay allegiance or contribute to the cost of maintaining a traditional or cultural leader.
“A person who compels another person to pay allegiance to a traditional or cultural leader commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding sh480,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or both,†the law states.
The law bars the leaders from dealing with foreign governments except with concurrence of the government.
Traditional or cultural leaders shall enjoy benefits and privileges from the government, including an official vehicle, a support vehicle, honourarium, travel with a spouse by first class and security for self and the family.
The Government will also contribute to their burial arrangements upon death in addition to contributing towards the cost of rehabilitating existing institutional or official residences.
A day after Parliament passed the Act, Buganda Kingdom, the largest kingdom in the country, vowed to challenge it in the Constitutional Court.
Katikkiro Eng. J.B Walusimbi said after the kingdom’s caution about the unconstitutionality of the Bill was ignored, the only remedy left was to seek redress in court.
Walusimbi wondered why every time Buganda re-echoes its bonafide demands, it is labelled ‘partisan and rebellious.’
Yesterday, Toro kingdom spokesperson Arthur Namara said: “We were not happy with the provision that requires a traditional leader to ask for permission when going to deal with a foreign country. It is discriminatory.â€
He said the committee handling the Bill did not inform them of what they forwarded to Parliament and wondered whether it (committee) catered for their interests.
“We are going to look at it with other kings with similar views. If we find that most of our views were not catered for, we may go to court,†Namara said
Teso’s information minister, Sauce Epak, said: “These are sensitive issues. I need to look at it with my colleagues before I make comment.â€
Meeting MPs recently, President Yoweri Museveni, said he needed the law urgently to bar traditional leaders from partisan politics. Consequently, Speaker Edward Ssekandi recalled MPs from recess.
During the stormy session chaired by Ssekandi, tempers flared and legal muscles were flexed until most of the NRM MPs voted for the suspension of rules of procedure to hasten the Bill’s enactment.
Only opposition MPs, especially those from Buganda, boycotted the last sitting after their attempts to block the Bill failed.
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has signed the Institution of Traditional and Cultural Leaders Bill. The controversial Bill bars traditional and cultural leaders from participating in partisan politics.
Gender, labour and social development minister Gabriel Opio under whose docket the Bill falls and the President’s press secretary, Lindah Nabusayi, yesterday confirmed that Museveni had signed the Bill.
Opio added that when he gets a copy of the Act, he would write a statutory instrument for it to be operational.
The minister is required to appoint a date by statutory instrument for the Act to come into force.
The Bill passed by Parliament last month with 15 major amendments gives effect to Article 246 of the Constitution which regulates the operations and conduct of traditional or cultural leaders.
According to the law, traditional and cultural leaders are barred from promoting or supporting a political party or political organisation or an individual in respect of political activities.
They are not allowed to make statements against the Government, opposition policies or programmes.
The law also bars them from making statements or comments on Bills or motions under consideration by Parliament with a view to influencing their outcome.
A traditional or cultural leader wishing to take part and seeking elective office shall abdicate his position in the institution not less than 90 days before nomination day in respect of that election,†the law states.
According to the law, a person who knowingly involves a traditional or cultural leader in partisan politics commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding sh480,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.
Subject to the Constitution, the institution of traditional or cultural leader may exist in any area of Uganda in accordance with the culture, norms and traditions or wishes and aspirations of the people to whom it applies.
A person shall not be installed as a traditional or cultural leader unless the person derives allegiance from birth or descent in accordance with Article 246(1) to (6) of the Constitution.
It is against the law for anyone to compel another to pay allegiance or contribute to the cost of maintaining a traditional or cultural leader.
“A person who compels another person to pay allegiance to a traditional or cultural leader commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding sh480,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or both,†the law states.
The law bars the leaders from dealing with foreign governments except with concurrence of the government.
Traditional or cultural leaders shall enjoy benefits and privileges from the government, including an official vehicle, a support vehicle, honourarium, travel with a spouse by first class and security for self and the family.
The Government will also contribute to their burial arrangements upon death in addition to contributing towards the cost of rehabilitating existing institutional or official residences.
A day after Parliament passed the Act, Buganda Kingdom, the largest kingdom in the country, vowed to challenge it in the Constitutional Court.
Katikkiro Eng. J.B Walusimbi said after the kingdom’s caution about the unconstitutionality of the Bill was ignored, the only remedy left was to seek redress in court.
Walusimbi wondered why every time Buganda re-echoes its bonafide demands, it is labelled ‘partisan and rebellious.’
Yesterday, Toro kingdom spokesperson Arthur Namara said: “We were not happy with the provision that requires a traditional leader to ask for permission when going to deal with a foreign country. It is discriminatory.â€
He said the committee handling the Bill did not inform them of what they forwarded to Parliament and wondered whether it (committee) catered for their interests.
“We are going to look at it with other kings with similar views. If we find that most of our views were not catered for, we may go to court,†Namara said
Teso’s information minister, Sauce Epak, said: “These are sensitive issues. I need to look at it with my colleagues before I make comment.â€
Meeting MPs recently, President Yoweri Museveni, said he needed the law urgently to bar traditional leaders from partisan politics. Consequently, Speaker Edward Ssekandi recalled MPs from recess.
During the stormy session chaired by Ssekandi, tempers flared and legal muscles were flexed until most of the NRM MPs voted for the suspension of rules of procedure to hasten the Bill’s enactment.
Only opposition MPs, especially those from Buganda, boycotted the last sitting after their attempts to block the Bill failed.