Long-serving COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has weighed in on the contentious debate surrounding presidential term limits, expressing support for their removal.
Speaking during a TV interview on Wednesday, the veteran trade unionist argued that abolishing term limits would address the persistent politicking that begins immediately after elections.
Atwoli attributed Kenya’s political challenges to the term limit restriction, noting that it prompts some leaders to start strategizing early on how to ascend to power, fueling constant campaigns.
“If you asked me as Francis Atwoli, I’d tell you, let us remove term limits. Why? This is what is causing us problems. Somebody is timing, after 10 years I want to be president,” he remarked during the interview with JKL.
The COTU boss observed that countries without term limits enjoy relative political stability, allowing their leaders to concentrate on development projects.
“Are Ugandans experiencing the same problems we experience here? People have turned politics into an industry, politicking from morning to evening because they know, for instance, Jeff’s term is almost ending,” Atwoli noted.
He further cited European nations led by monarchs, highlighting that they do not face similar challenges, as they respect their traditions and systems. Atwoli questioned why such countries advocate for frequent elections in Africa while maintaining their own systems devoid of similar practices.
Atwoli’s remarks come weeks after he called for a review of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
He argued that President William Ruto faces significant hurdles under the current constitutional framework, particularly with legal provisions that allow individuals to challenge and halt national projects in court.
“The President has a lot of battles to fight, but the biggest is to have some aspects of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, changed,” Atwoli said.
He warned that if the Constitution remains unchanged, the President might complete his term without delivering key development projects.
“We will help you, but the battle you have is big. The first battle is to help us change the Constitution of Kenya. The President wants to bring us a project, but people run to court to stop it, even when it’s a national project,” Atwoli added.
