The Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development, Gabriel Opio has presented revision to the controversial Institution of Traditional and Cultural Leaders bill 2010 that is currently being considered by the committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, as well as the Social Services Committee.
The minister said the government had amended or deleted 15 of the 21 clauses of the bill which had attracted uproar from several cultural leaders across the country, but more so from Buganda.
Among others, the revisions have
- Amended provision that a cultural leader will be installed in accordance with the culture and traditions of the people to whom it applies, subject to verification of the process by the minister in charge of Culture.
- Amended installation of cultural leaders which must also be through a resolution of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the district local government councils and sub-county local government councils in the area 9some MPs are however opposing involvement of politicians in installation of cultural leaders).
- Deleted the proposal of handing government the power to withdraw recognition of a traditional leader who engages in politics.
- Deleted the creation of an offence when a person compels another to pay allegiance to a traditional leader Deleted provision of punishing a traditional leader who provides a platform for members of a political party to discuss politics
- Amended provision for a traditional leader to travel First Class with his or her spouse, educational allowance for two biological children up to university level within Uganda, security, tax-free honorarium, two vehicles, rehabilitation of residence, maintenance of gazetted cultural sites and support for research and documentation.
- Deleted Clause 9 that mandated traditional leaders to share power with other chiefdoms under the regional government titular head arrangement. Opio says at this clause has been transferred to an upcoming Bill seeking to operationalise the Regional Tier government system.
- Introduced a fine of 480,000 Uganda shillings or imprisonment of not more than one year to a person who knowingly involves a traditional leader in partisan politics.
- Amended the liability of traditional and cultural leaders, removing criminal liability but maintaining civil liability of cultural leaders’ actions and that of his or her agents
- Amended requirement to seek approval from Minister of Foreign Affairs before dealing with foreign countries and replaced that with approval of government. MPs are however concerned this is a vague requirement.
Gabriel Opio