President Uhuru Kenyatta has reiterated that he does not intend to extend his term through a referendum.
Speaking on Thursday, the Head of State said the Constitution is very clear with regards to presidential term limits.
“It is unfortunate that some people have interpreted the scenario of a referendum to change the Constitution, to mean that certain individuals want to change that Constitution to extend the presidential term,” said Uhuru while responding to questions from Katrina Manson during a virtual meeting with the Atlantic Council.
“I can tell you, if there is one thing that Kenyans are very, very clear about is the two-term limit. Kenyans are very clear about it and they have been clear about it since 1992 when we introduced multipartism. And there’s been no single president that has broken that and I don’t intend to be the first.”
Uhuru also dismissed speculation that he will be seeking to become Kenya’s second Prime Minister through a referendum.
The President explained that the BBI seeks to ensure that future generations do not face the same political tensions the current generation has faced.
“In our time of multiparty politics, we have had tremendous tensions every election cycle. My partnership with Hon. Raila was to see if we can get to understand the issues that drive these tensions through the consultative BBI forums,” he said.
“I have no clue whether there is going to be a premiership in the Constitution. You see, these are the questions that people are now posing. I gave you a very clear synopsis of the areas where people are interested in. They are interested in the value of their vote, they are interested in the distribution of resources, and they are interested in inclusivity in government,” he said.
“All I can say is that the office that exists today, is the Office of the President. The President of the Republic of Kenya. Our constitution is very clear: that a President serves for two terms. I am now in my second term. No president has broken that; I don’t intend to do it,” he said.
