Senate’s email system crashes as Kenyans share views on extending presidential term limit

By Peter Ochieng

The Senate’s email system has crashed. In a statement, the Senate through its verified X page stated that the email system crashed after Kenyans overwhelmed it with messages.

Kenyans were sharing their views on the proposed extension of the presidential term limit to 7 years.

The Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei Bill sponsored also proposes the extension of term limits of other elected leaders, among them governors and Members of Parliament, from the current 5 to 7 years.

“Thank you for the overwhelming response to the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No 2) Bill ,2024. Due to high volumes of submissions, our email system has temporarily experienced issues,” the Senate said.

“The Senate received over 200,000 submissions, reaching the maximum capacity of the allocated email addresses. Alternatively, you may send your submissions to; senatejlahrc@parliament.go.ke.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Besides Kenyans having the email platform to share their views, residents of Nairobi are currently attending a public participation exercise at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

The session is being conducted by members of the Senate Justice and Legal Affairs Committee. President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has already distanced itself from the Bill.

In a statement released on October 02, 2024, the party rejected a proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill.

UDA Party acting Secretary General Hassan Omar described the Bill as a cynical, profoundly misguided and self-serving initiative that threatens the democratic principles hard-fought for by the Kenyan people.

"Of grave concern is that this cynical, profoundly misguided and self-serving Bill contravenes a long-held aspiration of the people of Kenya to retire the undemocratic entrenchment of unaccountable political monopolies,” he said.

"It seeks to deny the people regular opportunities to hold leadership to account and directly exercise sovereign power,” he added.

However, some observers have stated that the Bill might have been initiated to taste waters, as far as increasing term limits is concerned.