• The 2010 Constitution provides generous retirement benefits to former Presidents
• Under the law, the benefits are only payable to recipients who have retired from politics
The 2010 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression but the law also specified that politicians should not enjoy retirement benefits unless they have genuinely retired from politics.
This issue has become controversial because former President Uhuru Kenyatta seemingly does not want to resign as chairman of Jubilee and the Azimio coalition. He is therefore still engaged in opposition politics.
The retirement benefits for a former president are very generous and include a big pension, multiple new vehicles every three years, multiple house and support staff, office space, and around 12 security guards.
The law is clear. Politicians are not entitled to retirement benefits if they continue to be formally involved in politics. The controversy surrounds the government proposal to scale down, or completely remove, the guards for former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
However it is also true that former presidents must be protected, even if they are still playing politics. The security consequences of anything happening to them are potentially very costly.
Therefore the logical conclusion is to withhold from Uhuru Kenyatta all his retirement benefits except his security detail which should not be scaled down.
If Uhuru resigns as Jubilee and Azimio chairman, then his retirement benefits should be reinstated in full.
Quote of the day: "It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company."
George Washington
The Electoral College unanimously elected him the first President of the United States on February 4, 1789