Barya promises to reduce presidential age limit

By Joyce Namutebi 

PRESIDENTIAL candidate, Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba has said that he will reduce the age limit for the president, ministers and judges once elected into power.

The 46-year-old academician said he wants the president, ministers and judges to vacate office on attaining the age of 70 to allow new generations access the decision making arena.

Seventy-five years is the age limit for a president, according to the 1995 Constitution.

Debating the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2015, Parliament rejected government’s proposal to increase the retirement age from 70 to 75 for Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and from 65 to 70 in the case of judges of the High Court.

Other bodies including the Law Development Centre (LDC) and Uganda Law Society had also opposed the proposal. 

Baryamureeba, who is on his campaign trail in northern Uganda, expressed concern about the state of schools there.  

“I took off time to visit Alaka Memorial Community School in Alebtong. I felt even more inspired to seek to take up top leadership of this country,” he said.

“How do we expect to produce quality graduates in such schools? How do we expect teachers to perform at their best under such conditions? How can anyone confidently take pride for their contribution to this country when we still have many schools in this shape?”

He said he has been a teacher all his adult life and that education has a special place in his heart. He appealed to Ugandans to support him change the status quo, saying they deserve better.