Human Rights Defender Opposes Plan To Extend Presidential Term Limit
Kericho Center for Human Rights (KCHR) Executive Officer Robert Ngeno
By MKT Correspondent
A Kericho human rights defender has opposed the extension of terms of office of the President and other elected leaders from five to seven years citing the law if enacted will weaken the country’s democracy that it had strived to achieve over the years.
This follows a proposed Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill 2024 tabled by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei.
The Bill has been undergoing public participation since October 2, 2024 before the Justice and Legal Affairs committee which will hold a public hearing today in the senate chamber at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi where members of the public are invited to participate in the forum.
In an interview with journalists, Kericho Center for Human Rights (KCHR) Executive Officer Robert Ngeno noted that Kenya is a democratic county where it provides an environment that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms and in which the will of the people is fully expressed and extension of term limits will be a threat to this constitutional provision.
“We need to respect the Constitution of the land. We oppose the extension of terms of office of the President and other elected leaders from five to seven years. Extension of term limits will erode democratic gains made in this country. Extension of term limits in the Constitution protects against abuse of power,” noted Ngeno.
He added that Kenya’s term limit was introduced before the 1992 elections and retained in the country’s 2010 Constitution.
Ngeno observed that the purpose of the term limits is to minimize corruption and abuse of office and open the government to new people and ideas and infuse new innovative ideas geared towards solving problems of the electorate.
He noted the Kenyan constitution spells out disciplinary measures for elected leaders who fail to deliver on their election pledges and extension of their terms in office will create an avenue for leaders not to deliver on their mandate effectively.
Currently the Constitution limit the term of the President to maximum of two terms of five years each.
The Bill proposes to amend Article 136 of the Constitution which provides for the election of the President to increase the term limit from five years to seven years. It will also seek to amend article 101, 177 and 180 of the Constitution to extend the terms of MPs, senators, MCAs and Governors to seven years.
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Kenya designates JKIA Gate 16 for Ebola high-risk arrivals in sweeping border health overhaul
- Mbadi warns Kenya’s KSh3.6 trillion revenue target is out of reach
- Modern women are not falling out of love — they are falling into their senses
- The Chinese century: how Beijing is reshaping the world’s technology, industry and influence
- Omtatah petitions JSC to probe judges over Kenya-US health deal ruling
About the Author
