A section of Members of Parliament allied to the UDA party has distanced itself from a proposal to remove the presidential term limit.
Fafi MP Salah Yakub recently revealed that several legislators are in discussion over the possibility to change the constitution and remove the term limit.
The constitution currently sets a term limit on the President for a maximum of two terms of five years.
But according to Yakub, elected on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket in the August 9 poll, the term limit should be replaced with the age limit.
“Hatutaki tufanye makosa tuliyofanya wakati wa Mwai kibaki. Tulimtoa yeye kazi kama hajamaliza programs zake. Aliwacha kiti kwa ajili ya constitution ya two terms. Mimi na wabunge wenzangu tuko na mjadala inaendelea saa hizi, na mjadala yenyewe tunataka kuambia wakenya ya kwamba mambo ya two term…tunataka mjadala iwe ya umri. Mtu akifikisha 75 ndio hawezi contest…,” the MP said in part of a video shared by Citizen TV on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
Fafi MP Salah Yakub calls for the two-term-presidential term limit to be removed and the age limit for contesting for the same seat reduced to 75 years pic.twitter.com/4JIiJW3DMf
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 8, 2022
Reports of the proposal to remove the presidential term limit have since been received with an uproar.
Out of order
However, some of the UDA MPs have now disowned it.
Kakamega Senator Bonni Khalwale in a tweet said the proposal is out of order.
“Hon Salah Yakub, the new MP for Fafi Constituency. I don’t know him yet. Granted, he enjoys the freedom of speech. However, he must be reminded that @UDAKenya believes in the doctrine of Basic Structure & Essential Clauses in our Constitution. He is wrong & grossly out of order, said the Senate leader of the majority,” said Khalwale.
But the Senate leader of the majority Aaron Cheruiyot termed the proposal a personal position, even as he said it was within his rights.
“The Fafi MP’s proposal is well within his right. Kenya is a democracy & freedom of speech and thought is cardinal to it. What we should condemn is a lazy and malicious media outlet which intentionally blurs the line btwn personal positions & those of the member’s party,” noted the Kericho Senator.
The UDA party has also issued a statement distancing itself from the proposal.
It said that it has not been part of the discussions that the legislator suggested to have been ongoing.
“Remarks by Fafi MP Salah Yakub that there are plans to extend term limits for the President are a product of a fertile imagination by the legislator. UDA distances itself from the utterances by the MP,” the President William Ruto-led party said in a tweet.
“The Party has not been part of discussions in regard to term limits. The Party is busy implementing the The Plan and will not be part of sideshows.,” it added.
Remarks by Fafi MP Salah Yakub that there are plans to extend term limits for the President are a product of a fertile imagination by the legislator. UDA distances itself from the utterances by the MP.
— United Democratic Alliance, UDA. (@UDAKenya) November 8, 2022
