Calls to have President Uhuru Extend his term in office or rather run for a third time seem to be gaining momentum with each day that passes.
After Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli reiterated that President Uhuru Kenyatta should lead the country way beyond 2022, a close ally to Raila Odinga has now come out to back Atwoli’s remarks.
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o believes that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political career is far from over and that he should not be written off anytime soon.
Speaking during the launch of elimination of mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT) campaign in Kisumu, Nyong’o told First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, to tell the President “Kenyans are waiting for him to present his nomination papers again”.
“In 2007, when I was the ODM secretary general, Kenyans waited to see the President present his nomination papers but he never did as the rest presented theirs,” Nyong’o said.
“Kenyans were hoping that President Kenyatta would run but he held back. “The presidential election was then reduced to a two-horse race between the incumbent Mwai Kibaki, who was running on PNU ticket and Raila Odinga of ODM.” he added.
So far, President Kenyatta, who took over from Kibaki in 2013 before winning another term last year, has indicated that he is not interested in another term.
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.”
However, pundits say this could change as we head into the 2022 General Election and changes are made to the Constitution.
Nyong’o also asked the First Lady to think about her Beyond Zero campaigns beyond 2022. “We will still need your services,” the governor said.
He also praised the March 9 handshake between Uhuru and Raila, noting it brought peace to a country that had been rocked by animosity following last year’s presidential election result.
Mrs Kenyata was in Kisumu to launch elimination of mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT) campaign, an event also graced by Mozambique’s First Lady Isaura Nyusi.
Should President Kenyatta extend his term in office or just retire once his term expires?