Otiende Amollo: Cherargei’s motion to scrap retired presidential benefits is a waste of time
By Mabonga Makhanu, May 6, 2026Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo has dismissed Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei’s motion seeking to scrap retirement perks for former presidents, saying it is a waste of time.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 6, 2026, the MP urged Kenyans not to give the issue attention and to ignore the debate being pushed by the outspoken senator.
According to Otiende, who was among the framers of the Constitution, the benefits of a retired president are entrenched in the Constitution under Article 151(3).
“Some debates are really a waste of time. This purported motion by Senator Cherargei is idle and not worthy of discussion. The benefits due to any former president cannot be altered to their disadvantage during their lifetime. We specifically inserted this in the Constitution (Article 151(3)),” Amollo stated.
Sifuna defends Uhuru
This perspective by Amollo mirrors that of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who also came out to defend retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is facing pressure from Kenya Kwanza politicians threatening to scrap his hefty retirement package, accusing him of involving himself in politics.
Sifuna termed Cherargei’s push as “dead on arrival”, arguing that the retirement packages of a retired president are entrenched in the Constitution and cannot be scrapped through a simple Senate motion, saying that for such changes to be made, a referendum would be required. He further dared Cherargei to table his motion, saying it would not see the light of day.
“There is no way Uhuru Kenyatta’s retirement benefits can be scrapped because they are entrenched in the Constitution. You cannot scrap something that is entrenched in the Constitution through a Senate motion; it can only be done through a referendum. Additionally, the Senate has no authority to discuss funding beyond the funds allocated to counties. Cherargei’s motion is going nowhere,” Sifuna said.
Uhuru’s speech
This comes after the fourth president issued a speech through his brother Muhoho Kenyatta’s phone, which has since brought the whole country to a standstill.
The retired president went head-on with those trying to limit his involvement in politics, saying he has a right to defend his party. He cited other jurisdictions such as the United States, where Barack Obama still defends his party despite being retired.
He vowed that he will continue speaking his mind and will not be gagged by anyone.
Gachagua defends Uhuru
On the other side, Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has also come out to defend Uhuru Kenyatta, saying that it is his singular duty to defend the former head of state from any attack.
He also took a swipe at politicians threatening to strip him of his retirement perks, saying that if they move ahead to do so, once they take over power, they will reinstate them in full as required.