Senate Majority Party Whip Boni Khalwale has poked holes in the proposal fronted by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei seeking to extend the presidential term limit from the current five to seven years.
In an interview with a local publication, Khalwale termed the proposal as “absolute nonsense”.
The Kakamega Senator further noted that the 2010 Constitution which restricts the presidential term limit to 2-five year terms was birthed after many years of deliberations.
“This is absolute nonsense and I want to advise Kenyans to be wary of people like Cherargei who have no idea where these statements come from and have just stumbled into high office. The new constitution came after many years of deliberations on the pros and cons of term limits,” Khalwale stated.
Cherargei, in a memorandum submitted to the National Dialogue Committee on Friday, proposes an amendment of the current law to push the number of years a president can serve to seven years in each of the two terms.
He argues that the extension of the term limit would give the president sufficient time to implement their manifesto.
“Whereas the current constitution provides for two term presidential term limit comprising of ten years there is need to increase the same to two terms of seven years each. This enables the president to have good opportunity to form and establish a formidable team to deliver his manifesto,” Cherargei argues.
According to the senator, the increment would also help address the country’s perennial electoral challenges.
“The Kenya presidential election is always highly profiled as a result of it being conducted within a short period of time thus making it a Do or Die adventure,” Cherargei says.
Khalwale is the first lawmaker in President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration to weigh in on Cherargei’s proposal.
The proposal has already attracted criticism from the opposition with a section of legislators allied to the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition accusing Ruto of a scheme to cling to power by abolishing the presidential term limit.
“This is just a trial balloon and the tip of the iceberg. Their ultimate goal is to abolish presidential term limits. But they will not succeed. They will meet the full resistance of Kenyans,” National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi was quoted as saying by Nation.
On his part, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang termed the proposal as a plot to distract Kenyans from the current issues facing the people such as the rising cost of living.
“No sane Kenyan would want to prolong the suffering caused by Kenya Kwanza for another day. It is obvious that the government has run out of ideas on how to run the country and has resorted to petty political distractions,” Kajwang said.
Cherargei’s makes more proposals
Meanwhile, Cherargei is also seeking the the re-reintroduction of the positions of official leader of opposition and the prime minister as well as constitutional backing for the constituency and ward development funds.
“Unlike in the past, under the current legislative framework, the link between the executive and legislature is the majority party leader. Holding the government accountable in such legislative makeup can become futile due to the political circumstance such an attempt might find itself in,” Cherargei argues.
“The Prime Minister, like the practice in the UK’s Parliament, represents the government and is ever present in parliament and thus can be able to explain the government’s direction on any matter upon such request by members of parliament from across all political divides.”
The National Dialogue Committee, established to mediate the dispute between the government and the opposition, had early this month invited members of the public to give their views on the agenda of the ongoing dialogue.
