Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has termed as “absolute nonsense” a proposal by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei to increase presidential term limits.
Cherargei, in a a memorandum submitted to the National Dialogue Committee last week, proposed an amendment to the current law to push the number of years a president can serve in a single term to seven years.
Cheragei, a close ally of President William Ruto argued that the current five years in office are not sufficient for the running of government and forming a formidable team to implement the election manifesto.
“Whereas the current constitution provides for two-term presidential limits comprising of ten years, there is a need to increase the same to two terms of seven years each,
“This enables the president to have a good opportunity to form and establish a formidable team to deliver his manifesto,” Cherargei argued.
However, in an interview with a local publication, Khalwale who was elected on President William Ruto’s UDA party ticket noted that Cherargei had no idea of what he was talking about.
“This is absolutely nonsense and I want to advise Kenyans to be wary of people like Cherargei who have no idea where these statements come from and have just stumbled into high office,
“The new Constitution came after many years of deliberations on the pros and cons of term limits,” Khalwale said.
Endorsing Khalwale’s move, Ugenya Member of Parliament David Ochieng on Monday, September 25, said the proposal to extend the presidential term limit was dead on arrival.
“the push for extra years in President Ruto’s term limit is dead on arrival; we will not entertain it. Anyone who imagines that the Constitution can be changed willy-nilly because their kingsmen are in power should think twice,” the lawmaker said.
