The Speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi, has tabled a petition filed by Laban Omusundi to the Senate. According to the Nakuru-based activist Laban Omusundi, the petition sought to enact a law that would give Kenyans the power to remove the President, Governors, and their deputies from office.
“Hon AmasonKingi tables a petition to the Senate on behalf of Mr. Laban Omusundi concerning the enactment of a legal framework to provide for citizen-initiated recall of the President and County Governors,” read part of the statement.
In the petition dated September 1, 2025, the Nakuru-based activist Laban Omusundi sought to enact a law that would give Kenyans the power to remove the President, Governors, and their deputies from office.
He argued that the current mechanism, which relies on Parliament and the County Assemblies, may be compromised.
The activist wants the Senate to ensure the legislation has clear grounds for removal (recall) and allows verified petitions initiated by registered voters from a specified percentage of counties for the president and wards for the governor.
Reasons why Laban Omusandi Filed Petition to the Senate for Kenyans to Recall the President
Laban Omusandi has stated that he wants the Senate to acknowledge and affirm that the citizens’ sovereign power extends to direct recall for national and county executives in cases of gross misconduct, abuse of office, or violation of the Constitution.
“The senate should safeguard and prevent abuse of the recall process, such as thresholds of signatures and time restrictions,” he deposes.
He added that he wants the Senate to ensure the proposed law aligns with the sovereignty of the people, national values, and constitutional supremacy.
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Omusundi said that although the constitution includes a system of checks and balances to prevent abuse of power, political compromise has weakened legislative oversight.
He noted with concern that the current mechanisms for removal depend solely on legislative bodies but said they have failed.
“In many instances, the National Assembly, Senate, and County Assemblies have been compromised or unduly influenced by the executives, thereby frustrating accountability,” deposes Omusundi.
Omusundi insisted that the reality on the ground undermines the principles of the people’s sovereignty, accountability, and the national values set out in Article 10 of the Constitution.
Senate Approves Omusundi’s Petition, Restricting MCA Nominations
Previously, Omusandi filed a petition, establishing that only registered voters in their respective counties can be nominated for MCA positions.
As a result, the High Court made a change that will undoubtedly reshape the nomination process as the country prepares for another general election, after it passed it into law.
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Omusundi’s petition, presented to the Senate in October 2023, aimed to address a perceived loophole that permitted political parties to nominate individuals from outside the county to serve in the county assembly, thereby undermining local representation.
He highlighted that he pushed for the change because some nominees were not familiar with the needs and challenges of the wards they were appointed to represent, which made them ineffective. Omusandi added that this practice also denied qualified locals, who understood their communities’ issues, a fair opportunity to serve.
He explained that, while an initial proposal had sought to include residency as a condition, this was dropped because the Elections Act does not clearly define who qualifies as a resident.
“The new law says that you must be a registered voter from within that county, and that’s the qualification for nomination going forward,” he says.
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