By John Mutiso
President William Ruto has yet again dismissed claims that he intends to alter the presidential term limit and remain in power for 20 years.
Speaking on Tuesday, December 2, at State House, Nairobi, President Ruto said being the Head of State is not an easy task.
Ruto noted that he is waiting for the day he will leave office and hand over to someone else to continue running the country.
“I said that the other day, and some people with bad manners went around claiming that I want to be president for twenty years. Completely foolish people. Do they think I’m crazy? People seem to think being president is easy.
“I am actually waiting for the day I leave this office so someone else can take over and move things forward,” said Ruto.
The claims emerged after President Ruto, on Friday, November 28 said questioned what the country would look like if the affordable housing programme goes on for the next 20 years.
“If this work of building houses and markets across the country has taken two years, how about ten years, or twenty years? Won’t Kenya change?” he posed.
A section of social media users interpreted President Ruto’s remarks as signaling a plan to extend his term and serve beyond ten years.
This is the second time President Ruto has dismissed plans to extend the presidential term limit.
In November 2022, while addressing the Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting, Ruto said he wouldn’t participate in changing the constitution to extend his term.
“You were elected to serve the people; their issues must come first,” said Ruto.
He continued, “As President, I won’t participate in efforts aimed at mutilating the Constitution for parochial, selfish, and personal interests.”
The proposal to change the constitution to scrap the presidential term limit was first made by Fafi MP Yakub Salah.
The proposal attracted criticism from Kenyans who deemed the move as retrogressive.
The UDA party also distanced itself from the MP’s proposal, saying his view does not represent the party’s position.
