Uganda MPs brawl during presidential age-limit debate
Chaotic scenes broke out in Uganda’s parliament as MPs debated the contentious removal of the presidential age limit.
Tempers flared and lawmakers were filmed brawling after it was alleged an MP had brought a gun into the chamber.
The speaker ordered a search but no gun was found, local media reported.
The age-limit issue is controversial because long-standing President Yoweri Museveni is 73 years old and the limit for re-election is capped at 75.
President Museveni has been in power since 1986 and democratically elected as president since 1996.
But the current constitutional age limit would prevent him from standing for a sixth term in the 2021 elections.
His governing party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has been involved in a contentious bill to revise the country’s constitution.
A previous two-term limit was scrapped in 2005 to allow President Museveni to stand for a third term.
The scuffles broke out on Tuesday during a plenary session after the parliament speaker allowed the constitutional amendment to be presented to MPs.
Local media reported that it took 20 minutes for the commotion to calm down.
Earlier, police had fired tear gas at some protesters in the capital Kampala before the debate began.
A leading opposition figure was also reportedly arrested trying to mobilise protesters, a police spokesperson said.
Last week, parliament had to be adjourned after opposition MPs chanted, heckled and whistled over the age-limit issue.
More Stories
ANAMBRA GOVT TO EMBARK ON AGGRESSIVE MONITORING OF PETROL STATIONS WITH TAMPERED METRES
Anthony Ifeanya, the Anambra State Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, has announced that the ministry has finalised plans to...
UPDATE: EFCC STOPS DOLLAR TRANSACTIONS AT FOREIGN EMBASSIES IN NIGERIA
At foreign embassies in Nigeria, dollar transactions has been stopped by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). According to...
17 LEFT INJURED AFTER MULTIPLE CRASHES IN OGUN
Around 8:55 a.m. on Saturday, there were many crashes near the Iju bridge on the Ota-Idiroko route, resulting in 17...
PRICE OF 12.5KG COOKING GAS SURGE BY 55% IN NIGERIA
The average price of refilling a 12.5-kilogram Cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Cooking gas, has surged by 55.22 per cent...
TWENTY-NINE GENERALS OF NIGERIAN ARMY RETIRE FROM MILITARY SERVICE
Twenty-nine generals of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army have retired from active military service. Of the 29 retired...
TWENTY-NINE GENERALS OF NIGERIAN ARMY RETIRE FROM MILITARY SERVICE
Twenty-nine generals of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army have retired from active military service. Of the 29 retired...