Nicholas Opiyo, a leading human rights lawyer and founder of the human rights organization Chapter Four Uganda has urged citizens of the country to tirelessly defend the constitution, saying Museveni is now a setting sun and not a rising one.
Opiyo’s comment comes at a time when the country is mazed in protests meant to deter NRM MPs from using their numerical advantage in Parliament to scrap the presidential age limit.
“He is living anytime, and what that means is that it is the country’s future at stake and not Museveni’s,” Opiyo said during a cyber-law symposium that was held at Makerere University main hall on Tuesday.
He added: “Tweeting alone does cause change for those who are activists. Get out of your seats, go to your villages, and talk to your MPs: we need to defend our constitution.”
According to article 102(b) of the 1995 Ugandan constitution, “A person is not qualified for election as president unless that person is not less than 35 years and not more that 75 years of age.”
However, with the current situation in the country, it is vivid that NRM legislators are determined to do all it takes to have this article amended in order to extend President Museveni’s 35-year rule after 2021, when he will have clocked 75.
The move has also stirred anger amongst youths country wide, including university students like at Makerere who have been striking since Thursday last week when the motion was expected to be added onto the order paper in parliament.
The symposium
The cyber law symposium was organised by Makerere department of Journalism and Communication in conjunction with Action Aid Uganda, and meant to enable a discussion on internet/social media freedom in the country.
Just three days before it, there was a similar event dubbed Cyber Law competition where journalism and communication students, first to fourth year, were tasked to make presentations on Cyber law and freedom of expression in Uganda.
About 10 students applied to participate in the competition. These faced a panel of judges made up of their lecturers and were graded according to their arguments.
Winners were then announced during yesterday’s symposium, and awarded cash prizes according to their grades.
The winners were Steven Mayombwe (Shs 600,000), Luckel Maria Gaba (Shs 300,000 and Christopher Tusiime (Shs 100,000). Ruth Nakafuuma, who came fourth, was given a free Ugandan constitution.
“This is the beginning. You have to work with action Aid and spread the gospel to other Ugandans that they have a right to use internet… If they get harassed, they can always come to us and we give them free legal aid,” Opiyo urged.
Saddened
The head of the department of Journalism and Communication Dr William Tayeebwa gave a key note address.
He criticised the raiding of action Aid offices by police, saying it is so unfortunate that an organisation working for the good of Ugandans could be subjected to such brutality.
“Civil rights and Journalism are twins and we are really saddened by such actions.
But we aren’t going to be cowed in this situation. Our voice should be heard that we are firm and resolute to stand for human rights in this country,” Dr Tayeebwa reiterated.
Lawyer Opiyo concluded by urging Ugandans to use social media to bring about the change they need, saying that this is guaranteed in the 1995 Ugandan constitution – the supreme law of the land.
“I personally know TVO, but I can’t reveal him, even at gun point, I can’t; they rather shoot me. Facebook Ireland refused to reveal him because they knew he would be subjected to severe torture by this government. So just know you are protected when online,” he assured.