Constitutional review team needs ugx 13 billion to start work

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The Constitutional Review Commission needs 13 Billion Shillings to start work. Last year, the government named 14 people to sit on the Constitutional Review Commission to consider various constitutional reforms. The commission will be headed by the former Attorney General, Prof Khiddu Makubuya and will be deputized by former Speaker of Parliament and retired diplomat Francis Butagira.

Kahinda Otafiire, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Commission while appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on Wednesday said that the commission is ready to start work, but are waiting for the Ministry of Finance to release the funds.

Otafiire was leading a team from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to present the budget proposals of 133.5 billion shillings for financial year 2019/2020.

The committee chairperson Oboth Oboth said they would task the Ministry of Finance to explain why they failed to allocated funds for the team.

In the run-up to both the 2011 and 2016 elections, there were calls for the constitution review commission.

Cabinet presented and Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment Bill 2015 which ignored many views for constitutional reforms.

Civil society organizations, Opposition parties and others said passing the Bill without the reforms was tantamount to an overthrow of the 1995 Constitution.