1 Million Signature Drive to Amend Constitution, Bar DPs from Directly Vying for Presidency Begins

• A move to amend the Constitution of Kenya 2010 to bar deputy presidents from vying for presidency immediately after serving has began with a 1 million signature drive
• Lobby group behind the amendment want deputy presidents to spend at least one electoral term outside office in order to vie for presidency
• The Bill also wants two-term governors barred from vying for senatorial seats, EACC to be given prosecutorial powers and county allocations be increased to 35% of national budget

Deputy presidents should be barred from seeking presidency immediately after leaving the president’s co-principal assistants office, a lobby group has opined.

The lobby group was reflecting on President William Ruto’s ascendance to the highest office in office immediately after serving as Kenya’s deputy president for at least nine years, a trend they argue should not set precedence in future power transitions.

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Linda Ugatuzi is now pushing for a legislation that will ensure a deputy president who is interested in becoming a president must take a five year break before contesting for the head of state seat.

Led by Professor Fred Ogola, the lobby group has initiated a push to see the Constitution of Kenya 2010 amended to actualise their proposal.

If this push culminates into a successful constitution amendment push, current Deputy President Rigathi Gachagu can only contest for presidency in 2032 if together and Ruto will lose the presidential election in 2027.

If Rigathi and Ruto retain presidency in 2027, which would be their constitutional last term it would mena the eraliet the second in command could vie for president would be 2037.

“We want the deputy president to serve the president and wait for five years outside government before they return to vie for presidency just like US President Joe Biden did. He served Barack Obama until 2016 and then contested for the top seat in 2020,” Ogola said.

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The don argues that such a move will see deputy presidencies offer quality governance and safeguard public resources because they know they will not be immune to prosecutions for the five years they will be out of office.

Ogola’s team is also planning to come up with a law that bars governors who have served for two terns from contesting for the senatorial position, a dominantly oversight position for county governments.

The group argues that if two-term governors are not barred from becoming senators of the same counties they served as county chiefs they will likely interfere with transparent audits on public resources usage.

“We feel governors should not go for senatorial offices and instead wait for another five years outside government so that in case they had a hand in misappropriation and plundering of public funds they can be held accountable without hitches,” Ogola explained.

To affirm the seriousness of the push, the group launched a one million signature collection drive on Monday, November 28, to back their 2022 Constitution Amendment Bill of 2022 which will be a fourth attempt to amend the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

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The event took place at the Bomas of Kenya. The proponents of the amendment asked Kenyans to endorse move by appending their signatures.

The bill also seeks to have county allocations be increased to 35% of the national budget and give prosecutorial powers to Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

This will be the fourth attempt to amend the 2010 Constitution, after Okoa Kenya, Punguza Mizigo and Building Bridges initiative failed to sail through.

The Supreme Court of Kenya upheld verdicts by the High Court and Court of Appeal that found the BBI initiative unconstitutionally initiated and could not hold because the process was flawed and would not be justified by the end.

Source: TUKO.co.ke