A section of rebele MPs who were recently ejected by President Museveni Yoweri from an NRM caucus meeting have written to Justine Kasule Lumumba, the party secretary general seeking disciplinary action against the party chairman and chief whip.
MPs accuse the duo (Museveni and Nankabirwa) of unfairly throwing them out of a party meeting without giving them a fair hearing.
The president's move followed a communication by Nankabirwa, the NRM Caucus Chairperson who objected the attendance of these MPs saying they were irrelevant for a meeting that was discussing modalities of popularising the age limit bill.
This ejection also came after a letter the same MPs wrote to President Museveni demanding that he distances himself from the Constitutional (Amendment) (No.2) Bill that seeks to lift the presidential age limit. In the letter, the MPs collectively demanded that President Museveni urgently convenes a meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the National Executive Council (NEC), and National Conference to consider and adopt a common position on the proposed amendment.
The President is yet to formally respond to the letter or even convene the party organs to discuss the proposed amendment. Now in their new letter to the party's Secretary General, the MPs say that their ejection from the Caucus meeting raises serious ramifications for the party that they wish to change.
"President Yoweri Museveni came to Chair the meeting to discuss the Constitution Amendment Bill of Article 102(b). This raises a grave concern of personal interest on the part of the President since he is the sole beneficiary of the said impugned proposed amendment." reads part of their letter to Lumumba.
The letter is signed by MPs Theodore Ssekikubo, Patrick Nsamba Oshabe, Sam Lyomoki, John Baptist Nambetshe, James Kaberuka, Monicah Amoding, Barnabas Tinkasiimire, Felix Okot Ogong, Gaffa Mbwatekamwa, Alex Ruhunda, Sylvia Rwabwogo and Acidri James.
They cite Rule 2(c) of the NRM Code of Conduct which compels and obliges members of the party to exhibit selfless spirit in all that they do and always put the interest of NRM and the nation above everything else.
MP Ssekikubo, who represents Lwemiyaga County, says that it is their strong contention that the President should not have participated in the matter and use the Caucus to endorse the lifting of age limits where he stands to benefit personally.
MP Nsamba, of Kassanda North, cited rule 6(a) of the NRM Code of Conduct which provides for good methods of work by NRM leaders including use of persuasion rather than command, listening to other people's opinion, tolerance and patience when handling situations among others.
He says that in this particular instance, President Museveni and Nankabirwa suffocated objective debate and exhibited a high level of intolerance by stating: 'You are either with us or against us'.
Manjiya county MP, John Baptist Nambetshe also noted that the NRM party has a nature of tolerance but it has since fallen short of its principles by stifling divergent views.
He noted that the President together with Nankabirwa turned themselves into a jury, complainant and judge at the same time without granting the MPs a chance for a fair hearing.
