Kurzweil
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- May 25, 2011
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Mbunge ependekeza mabadiliko ya Katiba yatakayoweka ukomo wa umri wa kugombea urais. Endapo Bunge la Kenya litapitisha mabadiliko ya Ibara 260 ya Katiba ya nchi hiyo basi wagombea wenye umri wa miaka zaidi ya 70 watazuiwa kugombea
> Moja ya sababu ya kuweka ukomo kwa umri wa kugombea urais ni watu walio na umri mkubwa kuwa na uzalishaji mdogo pamoja na kusumbuliwa na magonjwa
> Endapo mapendekezo hayo yatapitishwa basi Raila Odinga mwenye miaka 78, Kalonzo Musyoka mwenye miaka 69, na Moses Wetangula ambaye mpaka mwaka 2022 atakuwa na umri wa miaka 66 hiyi hawezi kuongoza muhula wa miaka 5
> Makamu wa Rais wa sasa, Willium Ruto, Gideon Moi, na Musalia Mudavadi hawataathiriwa na mabadiliko hayo
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Presidential hopefuls who are 70 years and above would be barred from contesting if MPs endorse a petition seeking to amend the Constitution.
Petitioner Mohamud Abdi, in a six-page petition to Parliament, wants Article 260 of the Constitution amended to effect his proposal on grounds people aged 70 years and above are “less productive due to unstable health conditions”.
Abdi, a Wajir resident, based his proposal on a “scientific argument” about the productivity of older people.
“Science has it that persons above the age of 70 years are more susceptible to chronic illness and other lifestyle diseases. The productivity of individuals above this age relates to their effectiveness to discharge national duties is doubtful,” Abdi said.
He questions why candidates for presidency do not have an age limit yet the country has laws putting the retirement age for public servants at 60. Abdi also said such offices need to be occupied by young people who are the majority of the population and most productive.
“While other state officers are exposed to a retirement age, for instance, judges under Article 167 of the Constitution and other public officers, the retirement age of the political class is unrestricted and unfettered,” he said
The minimum age one can be nominated to contest the presidency is 35 years. “It is left at the whims of individual choices, therefore, making Kenyans susceptible to a recycled crop of leaders who are often unwilling to surrender the political space to the younger generation.”
The changes to the Constitution to have the proposal implemented through the parliamentary initiative could lock out senior-most politicians eying the presidency in 2022 for the first time or losers repositioning themselves for another stab.
The politicians include ODM leader Raila Odinga who will be 78 years, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka who will be 69 years, while Ford Kenya’s boss Moses Wetang’ula would not finish the five-year term if he wins the presidency in 2022 because he will be aged 66 years. Only Deputy President William Ruto, his arch-rival for Kalenjin vote and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi, and ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi would not be victims of the age limit provision.
Source: The Star Kenya
