BY SOLOMON ARINAITWE:
President Museveni is today expected to defend the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017 that the government has failed to defend and is now stalled before Parliament’s Legal Committee.
The NRM Caucus Vice-Chairperson Solomon Silwany confirms that the president has summoned NRM MPs to discuss the controversial bill.
Last month government tabled the bill that seeks to amend Article 26 of the Constitution to allow forceful acquisition of private land for infrastructure development but the proposal triggered a backlash from MPs and various stakeholders.
Government argues that the proposed law will be the definitive
solution to infrastructural projects delayed by wrangling over
compensation but MPs, the Uganda Law Society, religious leaders and Buganda Kingdom have warned that it could be a ploy to grab private land.
With the Bill facing opposition from even NRM MPs, President Museveni is today expected to make a spirited defence as to why the government should be allowed to take possession of property like land upon depositing the compensation awarded with court in cases of compensation disputes.
