The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda has during a one-on-one interview with reporters in Kapchorwa district questioned media houses that seek to engage Church leaders in political matters yet when they [Church leaders] preach the gospel, “media does not report about it.”
The 62-year-old has called the age limit debate “very” critical and sensitive.
Archbishop Ntagali notes that despite countless speculations in the public about the church’s silence, he will only be in a better position to comment when legislatures take the age amendment bill to parliament.
“The age amendment issue is still a rumor in the corridors of NRM and parliament; I will be in a better position [to comment] when it is taken to parliament,” he told a local news daily on Sunday.
“When we preach the gospel, you don’t report [about it], now you are scratching our backs when it comes to politics,” he added.
Since July, mainstream media platforms and social media have been flooded with reports of constitutional amendment to lift the presidential age limit.
A sect of legislatures subscribing to the ruling party, stirred the general public last Tuesday when they endorsed a motion seeking to delete among others, Article 102 (b) of the constitution which states that a person is not qualified for election as president of Uganda if he or she is “less than thirty-five years and or more than seventy-five years of age.”
Chris Obore, the spokesperson for parliament confirmed that MPs voted unanimously in favor of scrapping the age cap. The issue is not yet on parliament’s agenda, he however noted.
“What is so special about Article 102? Is it a commandment from God? If the public wants the age-limit amended, it will be amended. If they don’t want, we shall leave it,” Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs recently said.
The opposition against this proposal has since gone overdrive calling on Ugandans to resist the move.
“We are here to defend and protect the Constitution because that is what we swore to do and therefore any machinations and schemes by some of our colleagues to mend the Constitution are uncalled for and unnecessary,” said Kumi Woman MP, Monica Amoding who singly protested the motion supported by 245 NRM MPs last week.
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
