False: President William Ruto Is Not Changing Constitution To Extend Term Limit

Claims that President William Ruto is planning to orchestrate a change in the Kenyan Constitution to extend the Presidential term limit are false.

The claims were shared on Twitter through an account using the handle @lloydOnyango on November 8, 2022.

The user claimed that President Ruto, who is serving his first term as the President, was planning to use MPs affiliated with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party to push the agenda.

“William Ruto and Linda Katiba guys FIRMLY opposed BBI proposals claiming they were attempts at mutilating CoK 2010. After tasting POWER Ruto now wants to remove presidential term limit through UDA MPs. President Uhuru Kenyatta warned Kenyans to use their heads when voting,” the user claimed.

The claims followed utterances by Fafi MP Salah Yakub that he and some MPs were planning to push a bill in Parliament that would see the Presidential term limit extended. The MP however did not indicate that it was a plan by the President, or whether the President was involved.

“I, together with some of my fellow MPs, are planning to push a Bill in Parliament that contests the two terms of serving as president. We also want that no one should contest for the presidency once they are 75 years old. The terms of the presidency should not be limited to two terms, three terms, or even four. If the president is doing a good job he should extend his term,” said Yakub.

Business Today looked into the claims by the Twitter user and found them to be false.

Addressing the same issue, President Ruto denied the claims, saying that he was not planning to extend the term limits for the top seat.

“On matters changing the Constitution, I want to tell you that the discussion on changing the Constitution for parochial, selfish, personal matters is no space to go. I want to be very clear that as President, I will not participate in mutilating the Constitution for purposes of serving selfish, personal, parochial interests,” President Ruto said.

“The same way we opposed BBI because it was meant to achieve selfish, parochial, personal interests, we will oppose any move to change the Constitution. I will be at the front to say no to any change of the Constitution, to change term limits, to change things that benefit individuals. That is unnecessary, that is uncalled for and it is an exercise in futility because it will not happen under my watch,” he added.

Under the current Constitutional dispensation article 142 (1) and (2), a President can only hold office for two five-year terms.

Claims that President William Ruto is planning to amend the Constitution to extend the Presidential term limit are therefore FALSE.

This fact-check was produced by BUSINESS TODAY with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck, African Fact Checking Alliance network and the United Nations Development Programme.