Deputy President (DP)Rigathi Gachagua may be the first victim of the proposed constitutional amendments to bar a DP from contesting for the presidency immediately after their term as the deputy head of state.
A lobby group, Operation Linda Ugatuzi, is pushing for amendments to make a DP only allowed to vie for presidency five years after their exit from office.
Should the amendments sail through, Rigathi Gachagua will be unable to vie for the presidency in 2032 if President Ruto remains president until then.
The mastermind of the lobby group Dr. Fred Ogola says such a clause will ensure that a sitting DP dedicates his energy to supporting the president deliver their promises rather than having their eyes set on assuming the seat after the exit of their boss.
“We all concur that our 2010 constitution is good. In fact, one of the best in the world. It encompasses our common aspirations and lays down a good legal framework towards achievement of the same. However, it is not perfect, a fact that we have always known and accepted since its adoption,” said Ogola.
For similar reasons, Operation Linda Ugatuzi is also pushing for governors to be barred from contesting senatorial positions immediately after exiting as county bosses.
Among other changes the lobby proposes include giving the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission powers to prosecute corruption cases and allocating funds to political parties with higher representations of youths and women.
In the current constitutional structure, a president is allowed to serve a maximum of 2 terms of 5 years each, but there is no stipulated limit for the DP.
During the second term of former president Uhuru Kenyatta, his then-deputy and current president, William Ruto, was accused of launching early campaigns in a bid to replace his boss in 2022.
The duo was in a constant push and pull over the role of the DP, with Kenyatta saying Ruto was absconding from duty to focus on his 2022 presidential campaigns.
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