Members of Parliament have rejected the proposed amendment to the Parliamentary Elections [Amendment] Bill, 2019 to reduce the nomination fee for persons seeking to contest as members of parliament.
MPs voted against Budadiri West County MP Nandala Mafabi’s proposal to have the nomination fee for Parliamentary contestants reduced from current Shs3 million to Shs200,000.
Despite having the backing of the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who said that unemployed and low income earning youths have been pressurizing her to lower nomination fee, MPs voted for the status quo to be maintained.
The Attorney General, William Byaruhanga defended the Shs3m saying it will help curtail the influx of contestants so as to give chance to Electoral Commission conduct an election of better quality and that the Shs3m will only attract serious candidates for election.
The move to maintain the Shs3m nomination fee was supported by MPs including Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri County) Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County), Robinah Ssentongo (Kyotera Woman MP) and Richard Okoth Othieno (West Budama North).
Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi backed the proposal to lower nomination fee saying that it would help deepen Uganda’s democracy while Agaba Abbas (Kitagwenda County) said that nomination fee should lowered because it is not the only deterrent since academic qualification is high.
