Yoweri Museveni, 73, cleared to run for sixth term as Ugandan President

President Yoweri Museveni, 73, can now run for a sixth term after a court in Uganda upheld a constitutional change that removed presidential age limits.

A constitutional court, sitting Uganda’s Mbale town ruled in favour of lifting the age gap set for presidential aspirants after a majority of the judges voted in favour.

The court ruled that the bid to set presidential age limits breached parliamentary procedure.

In September 2017 a bill that would remove presidential age limits was introduced in parliament and it was later signed into law in December the same year.

This move by the parliament led to public outcry and protests in Uganda with the opposition who accusing Museveni of grabbing power.

The opposition took the case to judicial review heard by constitutional judges.

Initially the law required presidential aspirants in Uganda to be under the age of 75.

This law would have barred Museveni from running to office in the next general elections in Uganda which is set to be held in 2021.

However, the court abated Ugandan MPs’ attempts to extend their terms of office from five to seven years.

The judges saw the MP’s attempts as “selfish” as that would have pushed the general elections to 2023.

Many see the ruling by the Ugandan court to have paved way for a Museveni life presidency.