The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) bill 2024 which was submitted to the senate has become a subject of discussion both within the senate house and outside of it.
The bill also advocates for the appointment of a prime minister who would be hand-picked by the sitting president from amongst the parliamentary members.
This bill which is already in its first reading could be traced back to November 2022, when a member of the senate, according to Citizen TV Kenya, proposed that term limit should be removed in place of an age limit of 75 years.
Given the current socio-political climate trailing the recent anti-bill protest that rocked the east African country, it’s not hard to imagine that the general public would largely be against this new bill, particularly the country’s youth.
Given the current socio-political climate trailing the recent anti-bill protest that rocked the east African country, it’s hard not to imagine the rejection of the bill by the general public, particularly the country’s youth.
If passed, Kenya would be among some other East African countries whose constitutional reviews have allowed for extension of terms in offices.
The bill which had been submitted to the Senate and first read on Sept. 26 is s being discussed by a committee, and the Kenyan public has been invited to provide feedback on the idea.
Kenya’s protest
In June, Kenyans took to the streets to stand against a tax bill introduced by President Ruto. What began as an anti-tax protest, quickly escalated into an anti-government match.
The originally peaceful protest in Nairobi turned violent with over 40 deaths reported.
The tax bill in question was imposed on basic amenities, products that contribute to e-waste and harm the environment, imported products, and products and services used directly and exclusively in the building, which infuriated Kenyans.
The Kenyan government argued that the taxes collected would help ease its debt burden, and depend less on external loans.
However, soon after the protests turned deadly, the president was forced to withdraw the tax bill.
That did not stop Kenyan youths from calling for the resignation of the president, which led to the dissolution of his cabinet and the retirement of offices including the office of the first lady, and the retirement and sack of other high level officials.
