‘It Is Causing Problems!’ – Atwoli Wants Presidential Term Limits Removed
The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has called for an abolition of presidential term restrictions, predicting that President William Ruto will win the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday night, the outspoken power broker renewed plans to increase presidential term limits from the current five to seven.
“Let us remove the term limit. This is what is causing us problems. Somebody is timing after 10 years, I want to be president. Are Ugandans experiencing the same problems we experience here?” asserted Atwoli.
He went on to add, “People have made politics to be an industry. Every morning is politics from morning to evening. Because they know James’ term is almost ending.”
Francis Atwoli: We should remove the presidential term limit because that is what is causing problems. People have made politics an industry because they know the President’s term will come to an end #JKLive @KoinangeJeff pic.twitter.com/Mbjc46yHVy
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 27, 2024
Already, there has been an outcry over a proposal by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Senator Samson Cherargei to change Article 136 of the Constitution to prolong the tenure of the president and elected officials from five to seven years.
A president may serve no more than two five-year terms, according to the legislation.
However, Cherargei, a close supporter of President William Ruto, contended that the existing period is insufficient for an elected president or other elected leaders to complete their constitutional mission.
“Seven years will enable the president to have a good opportunity to deliver his manifesto,” he said.
He noted that it usually takes at least two years for a freshly elected president to establish themselves effectively.
However, President Ruto and Senators both vetoed the Bill, although debate over the contentious plan continues.
To the west, the Ugandan Parliament abolished a term limit rule in 2005, preventing President Yoweri Museveni from running for re-election.
In 2017, MPs again agreed to abolish a constitutional limit on the age of presidential candidates, paving the path for 75-year-old Museveni to run again in the 2021 election.
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In his interview on Wednesday night, Atwoli mentioned this, claiming that the revisions have resulted in stability in Uganda.
Atwoli also discounted Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah’s presidential ambitions, pushing him to focus on forming coalitions with regional leaders and guaranteeing financial preparation for the upcoming elections.
He went on to say that President Ruto isn’t going anywhere.
“I can tell you here and now, with the direction President Williamson has taken—that direction he’s now taking, that trajectory that he’s now taking—he will be the president at 10 am in 2027,” he asserted.
‘It Is Causing Problems!’ – Atwoli Wants Presidential Term Limits Removed
i think Atwoli’s reason has expired and cz at one point he was so much praised and honoured he thinks he is still that powerful and respected to me he has become a power broker minding his own stomach and should retire from politics calling people shenzi does not add any value anymore we need to bring up Genz who reason even better than atwoli
think Atwoli’s reasoning has expired and cz at one point he was so much praised and honoured he thinks he is still that powerful and respected to me he has become a power broker minding his own stomach and should retire from politics calling people shenzi does not add any value anymore we need to bring up Genz who reason even better than atwoli