Kenyan Senator Proposes Four-Year Term Limits for Elected Leaders

By Samuel Ouma

Kenyan Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has proposed reducing the term limits for elected officials from five to four years.
The proposed amendment would apply to the President, Members of Parliament (MPs), Senators, Governors, and Members of County Assembly (MCAs).

The Senator believes shorter terms would promote leadership renewal creativity and improve democratic response to citizens' concerns.

Senator Karungo stated during a news briefing on Wednesday that a four-year term would create a more conducive climate for new ideas to grow by encouraging new leaders to emerge more frequently.

"A four-year term allows for new leaders to emerge, fostering innovation and responsiveness to the needs of our diverse population," said Senator Karungo.

He stressed that the reform would improve Kenya's democratic institutions by preventing power from remaining concentrated in the hands of a few for an extended period.

He claimed that the existing five-year term encourages power consolidation, making it impossible for new voices and ideas to emerge in Kenya's political environment.

Karungo’s suggestion comes as Kenya is immersed in a heated debate over another contentious constitutional revision. The Senate is now considering the Constitution (Amendment) Bill of 2024, proposed by his fellow Senator Samson Cherargei, which wants to increase the term limits of the President and other elected officials to seven years. This measure has prompted extensive debate and strong popular resistance.