Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah speaks in Parliament on May 21, 2025. /SCREENGRABBusia Senator Okiya Omtatah has moved to reassure Kenyans over concerns sparked by a widely circulated proposal seeking to extend the presidential and parliamentary term from five to seven years.
The uproar was triggered after the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2024 resurfaced online, with many Kenyans warning it would roll back democratic gains secured under the 2010 Constitution.
The Bill proposes amending Article 101 to increase the tenure of Members of Parliament and Article 136 to extend the President’s term, both from five to seven years.
Kenyans on social media condemned the proposal, saying the political class appeared intent on clinging to power instead of addressing pressing economic and social challenges.
But Senator Omtatah, who sits on the Senate Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights, dismissed the panic as misplaced.
“Kenyans need not be alarmed by the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, sponsored by Senator Samson Cherargey. The Committee conducted a thorough review of the Bill and unanimously recommended that the Senate reject it in its entirety,” he said.
He stressed that the Bill was “fundamentally inconsistent with both the letter and spirit of the Constitution” and was “good as dead,” despite being technically scheduled for Second Reading.
Omtatah added that even if it proceeded, the constitutional threshold of a two-thirds majority in both Houses at both Second and Third Readings rendered its passage “politically and practically unviable.”
The Senate also issued a statement distancing itself from the controversy, noting that the Bill in question was being confused with a separate reform agenda.
“The Senate wishes to set the record straight: No Bill to extend term limits is under consideration. The 2024 proposal was rejected after overwhelming public opposition and has since been stood down. The Senate is now focused on constitutional reforms to strengthen devolution,” the statement read.
The clarification referred to the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which focuses on strengthening devolution.
Among its proposals are the establishment of a County Assembly Fund, clearer definitions of the roles of the two Houses of Parliament, and a streamlined process for Allocation and Appropriation Bills.
If passed, the 2025 Bill would only take effect after a referendum, in line with Article 255 of the constitution.
For now, both Omtatah and the Senate insist that the push to extend presidential and parliamentary terms is not only unrealistic but already defunct, urging Kenyans to focus instead on ongoing reforms aimed at fortifying devolution.
