United Democratic Alliance senators are currently calling for the constitution to be amended to extend the presidential term from the current five years to seven years.
Senator Nandi, Samson Cheralgay On Thursday, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2024 was tabled, which also seeks extensions for all other elected members, including governors, members of parliament, senators and county assemblies (MCAs). are.
Currently, elected leaders serve for five years before seeking re-election, and while presidents and governors are only allowed two consecutive terms, members of Congress and MCAa can be elected for as many terms as possible.
As the bill moves towards its first reading, Cheralgay “This bill amends Article 136 of the Constitution to extend the presidential term from five years to seven years, and Articles 101 and 177 of the Constitution to extend the terms of governors, senators, and members of the National Assembly. and amending Article 180.” Congress and MCA for 5 to 7 years. ”
of Cheralgay The bill was introduced after pro-Fafi lawmaker Salah Yaqub caused an uproar in November 2022 when he proposed removing presidential term limits and replacing them with an age limit of 75. Most Kenyans said the lawmaker was looking for cheap publicity.
The bill proposes the creation of a Prime Minister’s Office, similar to proposals made in the National Dialogue Committee and the Building Bridges Initiative report. According to this bill, the President shall appoint the Prime Minister from among the members of the National Assembly. The prime minister is the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in parliament. It also seeks to strengthen the Senate’s power by giving it exclusive authority to scrutinize some state employees.
This bill proposes to amend Article 181 of the Constitution, which provides for the procedure for the removal of a county governor or deputy governor, and provides that a decision to impeach a challenged governor can only be made by the Supreme Court.
The bill provides that the Senate should be able to scrutinize and approve the appointments of the Cabinet Secretary, the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, judges, and members of the Constitutional Commission.
If approved by the House, the House would also scrutinize the chairman of the Committee on Revenue Allocation, the Comptroller and Auditor General, members of the Public Service Commission, and the Inspector General of Police.
of Cheralgay If passed, the bill would leave Parliament with the power to scrutinize and approve candidates for appointment as high commissioner, ambassador, diplomat and consular representative.
“This bill proposes to amend Article 229 of the Constitution to provide that the Auditor General will submit the annual expenditure estimates of the Board of Audit directly to Congress for approval,” he said. Ta. Cheralgay.
It also proposes the Senate as a venue for petitions seeking the removal of members of the Constitutional Commission and independent office holders, rather than the National Assembly as currently required by law.
The bill proposes that any bill, with the exception of bills (imposing taxes and levies), can be initiated in either parliament, which can only be initiated in the National Assembly before being sent to the Senate.
It also proposes increasing the fair share of revenue allocated to counties from the current 15 percent to 40 percent.
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