Kenya may experience changes in its electioneering if a bill that is set to be tabled in the Senate is passed.
According to preliminary information on the Bill, an amendment is suggested to increase the Presidential term period from five years to seven.
Additionally, Members of Parliament, Governors and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) will also enjoy the extended term period of 7 years if the bill passes.
Further, the bill proposes to legally establish the Office of the Prime Minister in the constitution. As it stands Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi is the country's Prime Cabinet Secretary but the 2010 constitution does not provide for this post.
The bill sponsored by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei further proposes that the Senate should have a role in the vetting of Cabinet Secretaries, the Attorney General and the Auditor General.
Cherargei also wants the Senate to be granted powers to vet the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice and judges.
If the piece of legislation is passed, counties could also be in line to benefit as the bill proposes to have the devolved units get 40 per cent of national revenue as equitable share up from 15 per cent.
Another key highlight of the bill includes having both the National Assembly and the Senate approve the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to foreign nations.
Samson Cherargei, who is expected to table the bill has also proposed that an impeachment case filed against a governor and deputy governor should be challenged at the Supreme Court only.
The bill comes against the backdrop of recommendations made by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO).
The bipartisan committee championed for the creation of the Office of the Prime Minister, an official Office of the Leader of the Opposition as well as those of his two deputies.
Instructively, this is not the first time that such a proposal has been fronted, as Cherargei had tabled a similar proposal in September 2023.
President William Ruto however shot it down, insisting he respects the constitution and will adhere to it fully.
