Ugandan activists have intensified pressure on MPs as the discussion on Constitution Amendment Bill 2017 continues.

The amendment seeks, among other proposals, to remove the presidential age limit prescribed in Article 102 (b) that bars those above the age of 75 and below 35 to contest for president.

If the age limit clause is removed, the activists suspect, Uganda’s three-decade president Yoweri Museveni will stand for reelection in 2021.

Museveni will be over 75 and therefore ineligible if the age limit clause remains.

Part of the activities the activists are doing to stop the amendment bill is to call MPs to ask them not to support the removal of the presidential age limit.

In 2005, MPs were reportedly bribed with Shs 5m to remove the term limit clause to allow Museveni stand for president.

Political corridor rumours claim that the deal is even juicier with the age limit. Reports this news site cannot independently verify suggest that a deal is reportedly being brokered for the removal of age limit clause in exchange of Shs 350m.

With this in mind, some activists are reportedly harassing and threatening MPs over the amendment bill.

According to Parliament’s director of communication, Chris Obore, the activists are using MPs’ mobile phone numbers to add the legislators to Whatsapp group to harass them.

“We have received reports that some people are forming WhatsApp groups and forcefully adding MPs then harass them. The numbers of MPs were picked from our parliamentary website,” Obore wrote on Facebook on July 08.

“When MPs quit such groups, they are forcefully added. Political agitation is good but harassment of others tantamount to intolerance.”

He also named some of the Whatsapp groups reportedly harassing MPs.

“Some groups include Memorial Africa, Team No Age Limits etc.”

Obore warned that such harassment “could trigger a reaction”.

“Hopefully the perpetrators will not cry foul when laws on cyber crimes are triggered against them by the authorities concerned.”