On Tuesday 4th/08/2020, parliament agreed to President Yoweri Museveni’s stand to drop the ‘A’ level qualification for mayor of cities and municipalities, LC III chairpersons and their councilors which had been provided for in the Local Government Amendment Act 2019 in a sitting which was chaired by RT. Hon. Speaker Alitwala Rebecca Kadaga.
The Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was earlier passed this year, but failed to get the Presidential assent over the education qualifications requirements for these categories of aspirants.
The Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs noted that it was unrealistic and unjustifiable to impose education qualifications of A-level for persons seeking the office of chairperson or mayor of a municipal council, town council or division council, similar to that required for the President, Member of Parliament, district and city chairpersons, whose “functions are broader and complex”.
It was also resolved that all new administrative units created shall come into effect six months to a general election in order to give time for proper planning.
The Speaker appealed to the President to speedily assent to the Bill as it would affect the forthcoming elections in 2021.
