Renson Mwakandana
A proposal by one of its members to replace presidential term limits with an age limit has been rejected by Kenya’s ruling coalition. As it stands, a president can presently serve a total of two five-year terms under the country’s constitution.
Salah Yakub, an MP representing Fafi Constituency, made a suggestion earlier this week that the ruling coalition will work to pass an amendment that would eliminate term limits and restrict the president’s age to 75 instead.
Such a constitutional change would require referendum approval. If it is successful, President William Ruto, 55, would hold onto his position for 20 years. The initiative has caused controversy throughout the nation, and the president’s party, UDA, has disavowed it.
The party stated in a tweet that it “has not participated in debates on term limits. The party is busy implementing The Plan [President Ruto’s campaign promises] and will not be part of sideshows.”
Bobi Wine, the head of Uganda’s opposition, encouraged Kenyans to exercise caution and compared the situation to when President Yoweri Museveni abolished term limits.
