In a fierce public denunciation, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma voiced staunch opposition to a new proposal to extend the terms of all elected officials in Kenya from five to seven years per term.
Kaluma, who has proposed another bill to allow breastfeeding at work for MPs, didn’t mince words when he took to social media to voice his frustrations with the bill seeking to extend term limits.
“Whose stupid idea is it to change the term of Parliament from 5 to 7 years!” he posted on X on Friday, October 25, 2024, rallying his fellow lawmakers to prevent the bill from advancing.
Kaluma’s opposition was direct and uncompromising.
He urged Senators to halt the bill’s progress, pledging that the National Assembly would kill it summarily if it reached their chambers.
“Let our Senators ensure the Bill doesn’t reach us in the National Assembly,” he asserted.
Nandi senator
The proposal, introduced by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, has already stirred national debate.
Cherargei’s bill aims to extend the terms of all elected officials, including the president, MPs, governors, and Members of County Assembly (MCAs), from five years to seven per term, with a two-term maximum.
Under this bill, a president could potentially serve a total of 14 years, allowing for what Cherargei describes as a good opportunity to deliver his manifesto.
He argues that persistent election disputes and the time needed for an incoming president to settle down merit a longer term.
Not all lawmakers are on board, however. National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa, like Kaluma, dismissed the proposal as doomed from the start, saying it was “dead on arrival.”
Public reaction has largely mirrored their views, with widespread concern over accountability and the potential for elected leaders to serve with less voter oversight.
On the opposite end, Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has introduced a separate proposal, calling for a reduction in term lengths from five to four years, setting the stage for a contentious debate over Kenya’s electoral structure.
Kenyans have until Friday, October 25, 2024, to submit their memoranda on Cherargei’s proposed bill now at the Senate, which has generated uproar in the public.
The Senate confirmed its mail system crashed after Kenyans sent over 200,000 emails commenting on the proposal to increase term limits for elective seats in Kenya.
