Deputy Presidents will not be allowed to take over the wheels of power from presidents if the move to amend the Constitution sails through.
A lobby group has begun the collection of one million signatures to amend the Constitution of Kenya 2010 to bar deputy presidents from vying for presidents at the end of their term.
Linda Ugatuzi is now proposing that a deputy president seeking to vie for the country’s o seat must take a five-year break before contesting for the seat.
“We want the deputy president to serve the president and wait for five years outside government before they return to vie for the presidency just like US President Joe Biden did,
“He served Barrack Obama until 2016 and then contested for the top seat in 2020,” the group said.
If successful, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua will contest for the presidency in 2037 if President William Ruto will retain his seat together with his second in command in the 2027 General Election.
Led by Fred Ogola, the lobby opined that the move is aimed at not only giving the deputy president freedom to offer quality governance but also giving them immunity to prosecutions as witnessed in the previous regime.
The Bill further seeks to extend the same structures to governors seeking to vie for senatorial seats at the end of the two-term constitutional limits.
The group in their proposal said governors who have served for two consecutive terms should not vie for senatorial seats immediately after leaving office.
“We feel governors should not go for senatorial offices and instead wait for another five years outside government so that in case they had a hand in misappropriation and plundering of Public funds they can be held accountable without hitches,” Ogola said.
