A recent report submitted to the Senate Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights Committee reveals that over 99 percent of Kenyans who participated in public consultations opposed a proposed bill to extend term limits for the President and other elected officials.
The report strongly recommends that the House reject the bill introduced by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei.
The committee disclosed that it received a total of 168,801 submissions by the end of the public input period. Of these, only 11 stakeholders provided specific feedback on certain clauses, while the remaining participants opposed the bill in its entirety.
“Of the submissions received, 99.99 percent expressed strong opposition to the bill, either as a whole or specifically regarding the clauses related to extending the terms of the President, Members of Parliament, governors, and Members of County Assemblies,” stated Bomet Senator and Committee Chairman Hillary Sigei.
Sigei highlighted that all attendees at a public hearing held at the KICC last Friday firmly rejected the bill. He emphasized that the committee considered previous rulings by parliamentary speakers and a High Court decision, which restrict amendments to a constitutional bill once it has been published and introduced in Parliament.
“The Committee recognized that a bill to amend the Constitution may not be altered after publication and introduction in either House, based on past rulings and the High Court’s decision,” Sigei added.
Although some sections of the bill had merit, such as proposals to enhance the Senate’s role within the bicameral legislature, Sigei explained that these provisions would face the same opposition as the rest of the bill.
The committee concluded that any effort to pass non-contentious parts separately would necessitate a new bill, including only those provisions with adequate parliamentary support, as stipulated by Article 256(1)(d) of the Constitution.
