Cabinet has approved a new proposed law to prohibit Kabaka Ronald Mutebi and other traditional leaders from engaging in politics. The decision was taken at a special sitting of the Cabinet chaired by President Museveni at his residence in Entebbe on Thursday.
According to a source, who attended the meeting, Cabinet unanimously approved a memorandum to table a Bill before Parliament seeking to enforce Article 246 of the Constitution that bars cultural leaders from politics.
“The Bill is ready and we unanimously concluded that never should any traditional leader participate in politics by either joining a party or taking sides,” said the source, who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity because Cabinet proceedings are held in camera.
“This Bill is meant to catch one person, the Kabaka, who is the victim of this law because all other cultural leaders have not been getting involved in politics,” said the source.
Information Minister Kabakumba Masiko admitted in an interview that the Cabinet had discussed the issue but declined to offer specifics.
Information Minister Kabakumba Masiko admitted in an interview that the Cabinet had discussed the issue but declined to offer specifics.
“Yes we discussed it. We discussed the paper and approved it so the Minister responsible is supposed to give drafting instructions to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice,” she said.
Article 246(e) states that a person shall not, while remaining a tradition leader or cultural leader, join or participate in partisan politics.
According to the source, the new Bill will detail penalties for those leaders who get political, the first of which is a “constitutional adjudication of his/her throne.”
“Any traditional leader who contravenes this law will be forced to renounce his/her throne,” said the source. “And the kingdom subjects will be requested to find a new leader.”
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