Nairobi — Azimio La Umoja One Kenya MP have weighed in the plans by United Democratic Movement lawmaker Salah Yakub (Fafi) to remove the presidential term limit by setting the limit on age.
Minority Leader in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi mentioned that it was too early to test the waters on the move to change the constitution and remove the presidential term limit.
"We knew all along that President Ruto was envious of the record set by his friend Yoweri Museveni. We want to caution strongly that any attempt to create a life president like the situation in Uganda, shall be defeated vigorously," said Wandayi.
Minority Whip Junet Mohammed told the Kenya Kwanza Alliance to hold their horses on the matter since the country was facing harsh economic times and all they needed was for Ruto's regime to deliver on their mandate.
"Kenyans are hungry, the cost of living is high, and there is drought, we know ourselves as politicians that is what we do, you send a squirrel to test waters and see if there is maize in the granary that was what the young man was doing" Junet said.
Mohammed expressed that they are not surprised that the Ruto's administration was mulling on extending the presidential term limit however the timing was ill.
"They can postpone that for another day,we know its coming and we are waiting for it.We know one day before this term end that the issue will come up and we are waiting for it. The issue of term limit we will deal with it when Kenyans are not hungry," he said.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi linked President Ruto relationship to the long serving Uganda President Yoweri Museveni for the current developments warning Kenyans not to treat the issue as joke.
"We will not accept the change of the constitution. No wonder Ruto is friends with Museveni he has been reading from Museveni power book because that's how it started in Uganda,"said Osotsi.
Yakub said even though he had not received a nod from United Democratic Alliance to initiate changes in the constitutions, plans are underway to initiate amendments in the ll to replace the two-term limit with an age limit of 75 years.
If implemented the plan will allow President Ruto to run for 4 terms while blocking out ODM Leader Raila Odinga who has already clocked 75.
Senior officials of Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party have denied backing a plan to repeal presidential term limits.
The governing party termed the proposal as a product of "fertile imagination" which it said will not be entertained.
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UDA Chairperson Johnston Muthama, while reacting to news reports on Tuesday, said the party had not discussed the matter and that the proposal by one of its members was not supported by the party.
Muthama, in a tweet, however termed the sentiments as the personal opinion of the first-time legislator.
Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro on his part termed the utterances as personal and not the actual plans of the United Democratic Alliance.
"The member of Fafi is merely and attention seeker, he has a myriad of problems he is supposed to be dealing with, issues of hunger among others, that is not the position of the party, and I speak with authority, there is no such thinking that we need to change the constitution to remove the term limit" he said.
Osoro threatened that the party could take disciplinary action against the Fafi legislator for claiming to speak on its behalf without being given that permission.
The Majority Whip stated that if the proposal ever came to the floor of the house, they will thwart it with the contempt it deserves.
"We respect that we are a democracy, but if it's evident that he has misrepresented the party, and has brought the name of the party in disrepute, then we won't hesitate to take action against him, because what he is saying is utter imaginary thinking, its fantasy thinking" he said.
