The debate surrounding President Kenyatta’s role after retirement seem not to be cooling anytime soon. There have been calls for the President to consider extending his term in office maybe through a constitutional change. There were suggestions that the proposed referendum that is being majorly pushed by opposition Chief Raila Odinga is meant to create a Prime Minister position that Mr. Kenyatta will take as Odinga goes for Presidency.
These referendum calls have all but divided the country with sections of Kenyans and political leaders supporting it while the other section has completely publicly the proposed move. This section is led by deputy President William Ruto who has his eyes set on the country’s top most seat come 2022.
Professor Makau Mutua hasalso weighed in on the dedate. He has referred to the people pushing for President Kenyatta to be PM as “dimwits.”
Prof. Mutua says that Uhuru cannot ascend to power through the back door yet the constitution does not even allow him to do so through the “front door” come 2022.
“The chauvinists and sycophants pushing for @UKenyatta to become PM in 2022 are dimwits. The charlatans want Mr. Kenyatta to do through the back door what the constitution forbids him doing from the front. Mr. Kenyatta has slapped them down,” said Prof. Mutua
The chauvinists and sycophants pushing for @UKenyatta to become PM in 2022 are dimwits. The charlatans want Mr. Kenyatta to do through the back door what the constitution forbids him doing from the front. Mr. Kenyatta has slapped them down @WMutunga @ahmednasirlaw @richardquest
— Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) October 31, 2018
Indeed the President cleared the air on the Prime minister position earlier this week when he was hosted by CNN’s Richard Qest.
The President revealed to Quest that he plans to go home once his term in office finally come’s to an end. The President dismissed talks that he is set to extend his stay in power longer.
This will definitely be a big blow to most of the President’s followers who have called on him to prolong his stay in power with many saying that he is still too young to retire.
“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.”
“I am not interested,” added Kenyatta when asked whether he would heed the call of those asking him to remain in office.
On the calls for referendum that, the president cleared the air by saying that the referendum was meant to reduce the cost of living that has taken a heavy toll on many Kenyans and not to extend his stay in office.
“People are talking about Constitutional change not necessarily that they are desirous for the president to seek a third term but because of issues related to the cost of running this Constitution,” said Kenyatta.