Inside Plan To Have Ruto Rule For 20 Years, Until Age 75
However, the current president has not revealed any indications of seeking re-election in 2027.
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A section of United Democratic Party Alliance (UDA) Members of Parliament have ambitious plans to do away with the current presidential term limit of two terms (10 years), less than 100 days into the new administration.
Fafi MP Salah Yakub disclosed a plan by the lawmakers to scrap the current term limit and replace it with an age limit of 75 years through a constitutional amendment Bill, according to numerous reports.
Should the MPs get their way, the new laws could see President William Ruto rule the country for up to 20 years, as he is currently 55 years old. He, for example, would be eligible to contest in the 2027, 2032 and 2037 elections if the term limits are replaced with the age limit.
However, the current president has not revealed any indications of seeking re-election in 2027.
Yakub further revealed that there were closed-door discussions on the proposal, but declined to reveal the names of the MPs involved in the plan or whether he received backing from the top powers of the UDA party.
He noted that what is remaining is for the proposers to sit and draft the constitutional amendment Bill and forward it to Parliament.
“We want to tell Kenyans that the limit on two terms should be relooked. We want it to be changed to an age limit where when one gets to 75 years then he or she cannot contest”.
“We will come up with an amendment Bill to try to change this because we want the requirement to be on age limit and not terms. If a president is doing a good job, then he or she should not be limited by the terms,” he said during a relief food distribution drive in Garissa County over the previous weekend.
However, the move has already received sharp criticism from activists and opposition leaders who promised to oppose the plan to stretch Ruto's term limit beyond what has been set in stone in the promulgated 2010 Constitution.
"When people show you their true colours, believe them. We shall resist the plans to remove term limits. Believe it or not, these dangerous plans will make William a one-term president. Any attempt to change the constitution to make William president for life will fail. Miserably," said activist Boniface Mwangi.
The leader of the minority and Ugunja MP, Opiyo Wandayi, opposed the plans as well and vowed to rally Azimio la Umoja lawmakers to reject the bill if it is tabled in Parliament.
Backing his sentiments was Suna East MP Junet Mohamed who warned that the move would not even see the August House.
"Kenya Kwanza is talking about many things, but once their mind settles, they will realise that they have work to do and stop all these monkey businesses they have been taking the country through in the last two months," Junet stated.
President Ruto during his campaigns vowed to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, criticising his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, for disobeying several court orders. As a consequence, he promised to form a team to look into the court orders that were disregarded.
The extension of the presidential term has also been criticised by several Kenyans. The two-term limit was introduced ahead of the 1992 elections following the repeal of section 2A of the old constitution and was kept in the 2010 Constitution.
The last Kenyan President to have run for more than 20 years was the late second president, Daniel Arap Moi, who ruled for 24 years.
President William Ruto with the late Kenya's second president, Daniel arap Moi during a past function. /FILE
