Election of female MPs in new cities, municipalities challenged
The seats of ten female representatives from newly created cities in Parliament, along with those of twelve Municipal MPs, are being challenged before the Constitutional Court on grounds of unconstitutionality.
A petition filed by the Alliance for Finance Monitoring and the Walezi wa Katiba Foundation argues that the 22 MPs place an unnecessary burden on taxpayers’ money. The petitioners reason that municipalities are administrative units within local governments and therefore not entitled to direct representation in Parliament.
The petition further contends that Article 78(1) of the Constitution establishes seats for “District Women Representatives,” not “City Women MPs” as a distinct group.
Consequently, Members of Parliament like Musoke Wakayima (Nansana Municipality), Betty Nambooze Bakireke (Mukono Municipality), and Ritah Atukwasa (Mbarara City) stand to lose their seats if the Constitutional Court upholds the petition.
One of the petition’s demands is that they vacate their positions due to the alleged lack of constitutional basis for their presence in Parliament.
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