Uganda: Museveni Assents to Eight Bills Passed By Parliament

8 June 2022
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Kenneth Kazibwe

President Yoweri Museveni has assented to eight bills that were passed by Parliament during its first session.

This was revealed by the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among on Wednesday.

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According to Among, Museveni assented to the Stamp duty (Amendment) Act, 2022, the Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2022, the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2022, the Tax Procedures Code (Amendment) Act, 2022, the Tax Appeals Tribunal (Amendment) Act, 2022, the Electricity (Amendment) Act,2022, the Appropriation Act,2022 and the Landlord and Tenant Act,2022.

Museveni recently said the Electricity(Amendment) Act , 2022 will spur economic growth through industrialization.

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"Power should go directly from generation to the consumer, especially the industrial consumer. We should amend the law. I will talk to the speaker," Museveni said as he met Chinese investors from the Mbale Industrial Park.

The investors were protesting their omission from the direct power consumption despite having a bigger industrial park than MMP Industrial Park in Buikwe district.

MMP Industrial Park and Kapeeka Industrial Park are on a pilot trial for direct power consumption pending the amendment of the law to allow all industrial parks to access direct power affordably.

The Electricity Amendment bill was passed by Parliament in April 2022, to amend the Electricity Act, Cap. 145.

The bill provides for among other things; deterrent penalties for theft of electricity and vandalism of electrical infrastructure, removal of the monopoly of the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company and gives powers to the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to classify licences and as well as increase funding ERA from 0.3% to 0.7% from the revenues generated from the sale of electricity.

The bill also sets a prison sentence of 15 years or a fine of Shs1 bn or both for vandalism of electricity infrastructure and theft of power.

The Landlord and Tenants bill, was passed in February this year to regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants in a bid reform and consolidate the law relating to premises.

The bill permits the landlords to access the tenants' premises and take possession of the property to recover accumulated rent arrears.

This however, is conditioned on the landlord issuing a notice to the tenants who default on rental payment.

"Provided that where the default shall continue for a period of more than 30 days, the landlord shall be entitled to re-enter the premises and take possession thereof, in the presence of the area local council officials and the Police, without prejudice to the right to recover the rent arrears," the bill states.

The bill also provides that the landlord issues a 60 days' notice prior to increasing the rent charges. The law further states states that the increment should not exceed 10%.

Additional reporting by Samuel Muhimba

Read the original article on Nile Post.

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