UPDF Soldiers

Government and Members of Parliament affected in the Constitutional court ruling that declared the presence of representatives for the army, youth and workers in Parliament as unconstitutional are to appeal against the case in the Supreme court. This as the Constitutional Court  judgment  of the ruling of the five judges who included; Remmy Kasule, Augustine Nshimye, Ruby Opio, Richard Buteera, and Fredrick Egonda-Ntende  found that the presence of army, youth and workers MPs unconstitutional.

In 2010, a group of concerned citizens petitioned court over the continued stay of these special interest groups in the August House and the Constitutional court found that the law under which the army, youth and workers MPs use to be in parliament is  unconstitutional and illegal. The Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana told parliament after the matter was raised by Kigulu south MP Milton Muwuma that they have looked at the ruling and they do not agree with the judgment of their judges hence calling for appeal in the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah read the judgment to parliament and concluded that there is no order directing the seating members of the house to vacate their seats, but the ruling bars any political activity organized on national level to do with interest groups.

Speaking on this court ruling the State Minister for youth and children Affairs, Evelyn Anite, says amendment of the National Youth statute needs to be worked on before the parliament goes for recess. Workers’ MP Arinaitwe Rwakajara says that they are going to seat with the Attorney General to amend the statute to suit all the Interest groups.

The court ruling affects 16 Members of Parliament for the army, youth and workers.