If you thought that COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli was joking when he initiated talks to have President Uhuru Kenyatta extend his term in office, you need to think and rethink again as the Cotu boss seem to be on a mission to actually make this happen.
According to Atwoli, it is possible to extend President Kenyatta’s term in office trough a constitutional change. Atwoli has called for the Constitution to amended in order to expand the Executive.
Speaking during a public hearing with the building bridges initiative team, Atwoli said that the amendment to the Constitution will help end perennial post-election rows.
“People said I was not a normal person when I asked the President not to resign after 2022 as he is young. And if the people of Central want him, he can be a government which can accommodate him.” said Atwoli.
Atwoli said that the 2013 post-election row could have been avoided if the Constitution did not allow for a ‘winner takes it all’ situation.
Atwoli, holding that he came up with the push for a referendum “before it was hijacked by politicians”, proposes the creation of six Executive positions “so that everyone will be happy”.
He told the Bridges team that the slots will include big communities who feel left out in government.
“Let’s not have the system of a winner takes it all. Let people know how to share,” Atwoli said.
On the 2007-08 post-violence, he said Cotu had appealed to the government for national unity.
He said egoism between top leaders hindered the efforts which forced international intervention.
“How do you compromise with a person who steals your cow and enjoys the milk while you are watching, the former prime minister Raila Odinga advisor asked us,” Atwoli said.
Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli asked Kenyans to support a referendum, saying it is the only way to solve election woes.
He said a referendum will give all Kenyans an opportunity to come up with a document that answers the many challenges facing the country.
“The chaotic scenes Kenyans witness after every general election have all been a result of a section of communities feeling left out of government,” Atwoli said in a statement. He said a referendum will help the government to review certain provisions in the Constitution and address the problem of exclusion.
President Uhuru has insisted that he will go fr retirement once his term is over. The President has dismissed talks that he is set to extend his stay in power longer.
During an interview with CNN’s Richard Quest, the President revealed that he does not plan to extend his stay in office beyond the period the constitution dictates.
“Your term of office ends in 2022. You have said the Constitution prevents you from standing again. Are you trying to go to try and seek to change the Constitution?” Quest asked President Kenyatta, who responded with an emphatic “No.”
Would you support calls to have Uhuru extend his term?