Uganda 1995 Constitution (reviewed 2017)

CHAPTER 18. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

258. Amendment of Constitution

1. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament may amend by way of addition, variation or repeal, any provision of this Constitution in accordance with the procedure laid down in this Chapter.
2. This Constitution shall not be amended except by an Act of Parliament-
   1. the sole purpose of which is to amend this Constitution; and
   2. the Act has been passed in accordance with this Chapter.

259. Amendments requiring referendum

1. A bill for an Act of Parliament seeking to amend any of the provisions specified in clause (2) of this article shall not be taken as passed unless-
   1. it is supported at the second and third readings in Parliament by not less than two-thirds of all members of Parliament; and
   2. it has been referred to a decision of the people and approved by them in a referendum.
2. The provisions referred to in clause (1) of this article are-
   1. this article;
   2. Chapter One-articles 1 and 2;
   3. Chapter Four-article 44;
   4. Chapter Five-articles 69, 74 and 75;
   5. Chapter Six-article 79 clause (2);
   6. Chapter Seven-article 105 clause (1);
   7. Chapter Eight-article 128 clause (1); and
   8. Chapter Sixteen.

260. Amendments requiring approval by District Councils

1. A bill for an Act of Parliament seeking to amend any of the provisions specified in clause (2) of this article shall not be taken as passed unless-
   1. it is supported at the second and third readings in Parliament by not less than two-thirds of all members of Parliament; and
   2. it has been ratified by at least two-thirds of the members of the district council in each of at least two-thirds of all the districts of Uganda.
2. The provisions referred to in clause (1) of this article are-
   1. this article;
   2. Chapter Two-article 5, clause (2);
   3. Chapter Nine-article 152;
   4. Chapter Eleven-article 176, clause (1) and articles 178, 189 and 197.

261. Amendments by Parliament

A bill for an Act of Parliament to amend any provision of the Constitution, other than those referred to in articles 259 and 260 of this Constitution, shall not be taken as passed unless it is supported at the second and third readings by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all members of Parliament.

262. Certificate of compliance

1. The votes on the second and third readings referred to in articles 259 and 260 of this Constitution shall be separated by at least fourteen sitting days of Parliament.
2. A bill for the amendment of this Constitution which has been passed in accordance with this Chapter shall be assented to by the President only if-
   1. it is accompanied by a certificate of the Speaker that the provisions of this Chapter have been complied with in relation to it; and
   2. in the case of a bill to amend a provision to which article 259 or 260 of this Constitution applies, it is accompanied by a certificate of the Electoral Commission that the amendment has been approved at a referendum or, as the case may be, ratified by the district councils in accordance with this Chapter.
3. Where the provisions of clause (2) of this article are complied with in the case of a bill to which article 259 or 260 of this Constitution applies, the President shall not refuse to assent to the bill.
4. Where in the case of a bill to which clause (3) of this article applies the President-
   1. refuses to assent to the bill; or
   2. fails to assent to the bill within thirty days after the bill is submitted, the President shall be taken to have assented to the bill and the Speaker shall cause a copy of the bill to be laid before Parliament and the bill shall become law without the assent of the President.