NAIROBI, Kenya – The Senate’s email system crashed on Friday, overwhelmed by a surge of responses from Kenyans submitting views on a controversial bill proposing to extend the presidential term limit and those of other elected officials from five to seven years.
The Senate confirmed it received over 200,000 submissions since the public participation window opened on October 2 for The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2024.
In a statement, the Senate attributed the crash to reaching the allocated capacity for email addresses, underscoring the intensity of public interest and opposition.
“Thank you for the overwhelming response to The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2024. Due to high volumes of submissions, our email system has temporarily experienced issues,” the Senate’s statement read, adding that Kenyans can use an alternative address, senatejlahrc@parliament.go.ke, to continue submitting feedback.
The bill, sponsored by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, seeks to extend terms of elected officials, including the President, Senators, Members of Parliament, Governors, and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), to seven years.
This legislative move has sparked significant backlash from citizens mobilizing online to voice their opposition.
Many Kenyans view the proposal as a potential erosion of democratic processes, pointing to the previous failed attempt by Fafi MP Farah Yakub, who sought to remove the presidential term limit altogether in favor of an age cap of 75 years.
Public participation in the bill’s review concludes Friday with a forum at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), hosted by the Senate’s Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights Committee.
This last opportunity for public input is expected to draw large crowds as more Kenyans plan to make oral submissions, underscoring the bill’s contentious nature.
The proposal marks the second attempt to alter presidential term limits since President William Ruto took office in 2022.
The first initiative was met with widespread public outcry and ultimately dismissed, with Ruto himself voicing his opposition to scrapping the term limit.
The Senate confirmed it received over 200,000 submissions since the public participation window opened on October 2 for The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2024.
In a statement, the Senate attributed the crash to reaching the allocated capacity for email addresses, underscoring the intensity of public interest and opposition.
“Thank you for the overwhelming response to The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2024. Due to high volumes of submissions, our email system has temporarily experienced issues,” the Senate’s statement read, adding that Kenyans can use an alternative address, senatejlahrc@parliament.go.ke, to continue submitting feedback.
The bill, sponsored by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, seeks to extend terms of elected officials, including the President, Senators, Members of Parliament, Governors, and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), to seven years.
This legislative move has sparked significant backlash from citizens mobilizing online to voice their opposition.
Many Kenyans view the proposal as a potential erosion of democratic processes, pointing to the previous failed attempt by Fafi MP Farah Yakub, who sought to remove the presidential term limit altogether in favor of an age cap of 75 years.
Public participation in the bill’s review concludes Friday with a forum at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), hosted by the Senate’s Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights Committee.
This last opportunity for public input is expected to draw large crowds as more Kenyans plan to make oral submissions, underscoring the bill’s contentious nature.
The proposal marks the second attempt to alter presidential term limits since President William Ruto took office in 2022.
The first initiative was met with widespread public outcry and ultimately dismissed, with Ruto himself voicing his opposition to scrapping the term limit.
