Former CJ David Maraga has said it is impossible to extend President Uhuru Kenyatta’s term in office by even a single day amid speculation there is a plan to delay the 2022 General Election.
According to the Former CJ, the constitution is very clear about presidential terms, and extending by even a single day needs a referendum to be conducted for Kenyans to make that decision.
The tough-talking legal practitioner dismissed suggestions the next general election can be postponed to accommodate the Building Bridges Initiative-led planned amendment to the 2010 Constitution of Kenya.
“The Constitution limits the term of the President to two terms of five years. You cannot extend the term of the President even for one day,
“That will require a referendum. The Constitution also limits the term of Parliament to five years,” Maraga said.
In an interview on KTN, the former CJ said that the elections can only be postponed on under two circumstances as provided in the constitution.
“It can only happen (postponing an election) in very exceptional circumstances that are in case of war or a state of emergency. One cannot argue that election date should be extended because the Building Bridges Initiative bill case is in court,” he said.
Maraga’s words come amid an announcement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) that the General Election would be held on August 9, 2022.
The commission’s chairman, Wafula Chebukati downplayed calls for postponing the election, saying that they have already started preparations.
Speaking in Mombasa on August 10, Chebukati said that the commission will spend a minimum of KSh 40.9 Billion to conduct the polls.
“The KSh40.9 billion budget requirement is the bare minimum as per the electoral activities in the election operation plan which are governed by the existing Laval framework,” Chebukati said.
While releasing the expenditure of the polls, the commission also unveiled a budget on the amount of money candidates are going to spend on the campaigns.
Presidential candidates were limited to an expenditure of KSh 4.4 Billion to run their campaigns.