Your Time Is Up, Martha Karua Tells President Uhuru, Asks Him to Facilitate Smooth Handover of Power

NARC-Kenya party leader Martha Karua has warned President Kenyatta against attempts to cling onto power.

Speaking during NARC-Kenya’s National Delegates Convention (NDC) at Ufungamano House in Nairobi on Friday, Karua urged the president to facilitate a seamless handover of power to his successor once his 10-year term expires later this year.

Citing remarks by Kenyatta’s close allies that he is too young to retire and may serve the country in another capacity, Karua noted that such a move would be illegal as the Constitution allows a leader of government business, regardless of their title, to only serve for a maximum of 10 years.

“Tumeskia watu wakisema, na ata Attorney General amekuwa quoted akisema kwamba hakuna kizuizi la kikatiba rais kuchukua kazi nyingine kama Prime Minister. Niliwaambia kitambo, hiyo inaweza kuwa ni haramu, term limit ni kwamba wengine waweze kupata nafasi,” said Karua.

“I want to tell any fellow lawyer who may try to misinterpret the Constitution; the term limit means 10 years to steer the nation at the top level, you exit and go do something else. This is irrespective of your age, you could even be 40, term limit ikifika unarudi nyumbani.”

She further called on Kenyatta to emulate his predecessors Mwai Kibaki and Daniel Arap Moi, who willingly and peacefully transferred power when their respective terms elapsed. 

“Wakati wa kwanza tuliona rais akiwacha mamlaka wakati wake ukifika ilikuwa ni 2002 wakati Kibaki alipoingia na Moi akaondoka. That was our first democratic transition. Ya pili ikawa ni 2013 wakati rais mstaafu Kibaki aliondoka na Uhuru Kenyatta akaingia,” she stated.

“Hii ya mwaka huu itakuwa ni ya tatu. Na lazima tuige mfano wa kuondoka kwa mamlaka wakati ukifika. Kwa sababu tuko na Constitutional term limit, ya kuwapatia Wakenya wengine waweze kuendeleza nchi yote na kuwapatia vyama vingine na watu wa tabaka vyote nafasi ya kuwania hiyo kiti.”