Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has revived his push for constitutional changes that could allow President William Ruto to remain in power until 2047, arguing that Kenya needs more time under the Head of State’s leadership to achieve its economic ambitions
Speaking in Mosop Constituency, Nandi County, the outspoken lawmaker said he could reintroduce his controversial proposal to extend presidential terms after 2032, insisting that continued leadership would help the country attain levels of development comparable to those achieved by Singapore.
Article 142(2) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, states that a person shall not hold office as President for more than two terms.
Presidential terms run from the swearing-in of the elected President until the next elected President takes office.
Article 255(1)(f) provides that an amendment affecting the President’s term of office must be approved through a referendum.
Article 255(2) sets two requirements: at least 20 per cent of registered voters in each of at least half the counties must participate, and a simple majority of citizens voting in the referendum must support the amendment.
Old Proposal Returns
Cherargei’s latest comments suggest he has not abandoned his campaign for longer presidential terms, despite opposition from various quarters when he first introduced the proposal.
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The senator has previously argued that governments require more time to implement major development programmes and deliver transformative projects.
He said extending presidential terms would reduce the pressure of frequent election cycles and allow administrations to complete their agendas.
On November 1, 2024, the Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights recommended the rejection of Cherargei’s Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, which sought to extend the terms of elected leaders from five to seven years.
The committee, chaired by Senator Hillary Sigei, said it had received 168,801 submissions during public participation, with the overwhelming majority opposing the proposed amendments.
The Bill also proposed establishing the Office of the Prime Minister and changing the Senate’s oversight mandate.
His remarks come as political conversations about Kenya’s future leadership gather momentum ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The proposal is likely to attract renewed scrutiny from both supporters and critics of constitutional change, particularly because presidential term limits were among the key governance reforms introduced under the 2010 Constitution.
Ruto’s Response to Cherargei’s Term Extension Debate
President William Ruto has previously opposed proposals to change presidential term limits, distancing himself from efforts to amend the Constitution for the benefit of individual leaders.
On November 16, 2022, at a Kenya Kwanza parliamentary group meeting at State House in Nairobi, Ruto urged lawmakers to focus on service delivery rather than constitutional changes to extend presidential tenure.
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He said he would not participate in efforts to alter the Constitution for “parochial, selfish and personal interests.”
Ruto reiterated his position in October 2024 after Cherargei sponsored a Bill seeking to extend the terms of elected leaders from five to seven years.
The President reshared a statement by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which condemned the proposal as self-serving and argued that it threatened democratic accountability.
During the 2024 debate, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah dismissed the Bill, while ODM leaders Edwin Sifuna and Godfrey Osotsi pledged to oppose it.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya also criticised the proposal.
Religious organisations, including the Ufungamano Joint Forum of Religious Organizations, joined the opposition, arguing that extending elected leaders’ terms would weaken democratic accountability.
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