Saboti MP Caleb Amisi and his Kikuyu counterpart Kimani Ichung'wah have weighed on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2024 by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei.
In an update on Thursday, October 2024, Amisi said it is absurd for an elected leader to come up with such a proposal, adding that extending the presidential term limit won't help solve the problems Kenya has.
"It is absurd for an elected leader to even imagine that the problems bedeviling this country can only be cured through prolonged terms in office. We need a team of young, progressive leaders to change this country. Most leaders have grown complacent and much entitled," the MP said.
On the other hand, Ichung'wah, a close ally of President William Ruto, dismissed the proposal terming it dead on arrival.
"That Cherargei legislative proposal on term limits is dead on arrival, period. He should save his own time, that of other Senators and taxpayers money," the MP wrote on X on Wednesday, October 23.
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This comes three weeks after the ruling party, United Democratic Alliance (UDA), also condemned the proposed bill to extend the presidential term limit from five to seven years.
In a statement on October 3, 2024, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar argued that the Bill undermines Kenya's democratic principles and the people's right to hold leaders accountable.
"Of grave concern is that this cynical, profoundly misguided and self-serving Bill contravenes a long-held aspiration of the people of Kenya to retire the undemocratic entrenchment of unaccountable political monopolies. It seeks to deny the people regular opportunities to hold leadership to account and directly exercise sovereign power," the statement read in part.
The bill, which also seeks to extend terms for governors and MPs, has been criticized for lacking historical reflection on the necessity of term limits.
"The masterminds and sponsors of the constitutional amendment bill... have not engaged in sufficient reflection with regard to the historical origins, institutional basis, and political necessity of term limits," the statement added.
UDA emphasized its commitment to constitutional values and called for an immediate halt to what it termed "juvenile political experimentation" that threatens Kenya's hard-won democratic gains.
"UDA remembers the lessons of our nation's history and honors the long struggle of the people of Kenya for constitutional change. We have made impressive strides in consolidating our institutions, deepening our democracy, protecting our freedoms, and placing our economy on the sustainable path of inclusive prosperity," the statement further read.
