The retirement envisaged in law is from office. The misguided interpretation by the Kenya Kwanza people is that you retire from enjoying your political rights once you leave office.
Any law that is built from that premise would be unconscionable and illegal ab initio.
The right understanding is that the Constitution envisages that you are entitled to your benefits having exited the office without caring what you do with yourself as far as politics is concerned. The individual rights are sacrosanct.
It is very unfair for Kenya Kwanza to expect that a political animal like former President Uhuru Kenyatta would be forced from politics having done politics almost all his life.
We see in other jurisdictions like the US where former presidents freely engage in politics and take an active part in the initiatives of their parties, including campaigning for their candidates.
Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George Bush, all have done it, and continue to do it. Donald Trump is even campaigning for himself and at the same time enjoying the benefits of having served in the office he is seeking to reclaim.
Let me remind them that even President William Ruto will leave office and he will remain an asset to UDA party. We should not make laws that serve temporary interests.
Political parties retain the right to deploy their stars when and how they deem fit. Having a member who has risen to the president is an advantage that no one should bar them from enjoying. They can use their stars in campaigns for their candidates and any other activity that serves their interest.
I must say that the move to tinker with the law in this manner is not new. They had tried it against Azimio leader Raila Odinga when he retired from the Office of the Prime minister but Uhuru saw sense and discarded it.
Those espousing those beliefs are hypocrites. Former presidents have engaged in politics in this country and no one tried that route. Former President Daniel Moi engaged in politics when he campaigned in the constitutional referendum in 2005 but no one spoke a word. He campaigned for President Mwai Kibaki in 2007 and again, no one spoke a word.
(Edited by V. Graham)
