Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has told Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei to drop like a hot potato the term limit extension bill he has been pushing.
The Senator tabled a bill that seeks to extend the terms of elected leaders from five to seven years.
Speaking during a church service at PCEA Umoja on Sunday, Kalonzo said the proposal to extend the term limit of leaders has elicited backlash from Kenyans and mixed reactions from a cross-section of leaders across the country.
"Kenya Kwanza should not make the mistake of bringing a constitutional amendment to extend the term limit of leaders from 5 to 7 years," Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo further termed the bill a bribe to leaders, stating that the term of leaders should even be cut to four years instead.
"Other countries have presidents who serve for four years, and they have done wonders, so where are you coming from Senator Cherargei? Because I listen to your debates. Cherargei drop that thing like a hot potato if you love your country," Kalonzo said.
Kenyans responded to the senator’s proposal with more than 240, 000 messages sent to the Senate’s email system, leaving it crashed.
Insiders within Parliament said no bill—including the recently rejected Finance Bill, 2024, that triggered countrywide protests — had received that level of public backlash.
While speaking in the Senate on October 29, Cherargei said he had suffered a data privacy breach following a huge number of messages and calls from Kenyans.
“Senate has so far received 500, 000 emails reacting to my Bill. As of now, 60 per cent of Kenyans are supporting my bill and 40 percent are opposing,” Cherargei said.
Currently, the constitution limits the term of the president to a maximum of two five-year terms. Senator Cherargei wants to extend the limit to seven years via the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill, 2024.
“The Bill proposes to amend Article 136 of the constitution, which provides for the election of the President, to increase the term of office of the President from five years to seven years,” the Bill states.
The bill sought to amend sections 101, 177, and 180 of the constitution to extend the terms of MPs, Senators, MCAs and Governors to seven years.
It further seeks to create the office of the Prime Minister, who shall be appointed by the President from amongst the members of Parliament.
