UDA Senator Wants Presidential Term Limit Abolished
The topic has been brought up again, this time by a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Senator, eight months after President William Ruto reiterated his adamant opposition to extending the 10-year presidential term limit to prolong his tenure.
Senator John Kinyua of Laikipia has advocated for the elimination of tenure limits for the positions of president and governor. He argues that such an action would enable leaders at these two levels of government to fulfill their obligations to Kenyans.
The UDA lawmaker made these claims at the Devolution Conference 2023 in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on Tuesday, August 15.
He emphasized to the press that while a five-year term may be suitable for other leaders, presidents and governors should ideally serve a ten-year term.
Senator of Laikipia remarked, “In terms of tangible performance or tangible development from a president and governor, it is a ten-year term.”
He argued that a five-year term is insufficient for a president to completely implement the agendas outlined in their manifestos.
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He remarked that both presidents and governors are frequently distracted from their primary duty of serving the public by re-election campaigns, rather than devoting themselves wholly to the improvement of the electorate.
However, the UDA lawmaker argued that a five-year term is appropriate for the remaining elective positions because it enables Kenyans to evaluate their leaders’ performance objectively.
Kinyua emphasized that the constitution’s framers did not err by mandating a five-year term for leaders. Nonetheless, he advocated for an amendment that would specifically address presidential and gubernatorial terms.
Article 142 of the Kenyan Constitution of 2010 states: (1) The President shall hold office for a term commencing on the date of the inauguration and ending upon the inauguration of the next President elected by Article 136 (2) (a).
However, the President cannot serve for more than two consecutive five-year mandates.
Following this development, it is unknown whether President Ruto will once again distance himself from the discourse and how the opposition will react.
UDA Senator Wants Presidential Term Limit Abolished
