Kenya: Nyoro Asks Uhuru to Respect Retirement Law and Quit Party Politics
Nairobi — Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has called on former President Uhuru Kenyatta to abide by the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act and quit party politics.
Nyoro said Sunday during a church service in Isiolo that Kenyatta should learn from his predecessors — late Presidents Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki — and support his successor by steering away from politics.
Instead of engaging in politics, the Kiharu legislator urged the ex-president to call the incumbent President William Ruto and seek a truce.
“Our Presidential Retirement Benefits Act is very clear on Section 6 that when a President retires, that you should cease as a former President to hold any position in a political party,” Nyoro said.
“We are now eight months since elections, we are respectfully requesting you as the people of Kenya to please respect Presidential Retirement Benefits Act so that you can lead by example.”
Highlighting the consequences of disregarding the Retirement Benefits Act, Nyoro reminded Kenyatta that the law is explicit about the actions that should be taken in such cases.
Nyoro appealed to Kenyatta to respect the will of the Kenyan people, who elected President Ruto, and suggested that quitting politics would earn him the respect of the nation.
Advisory role to government
Section 6 (1) of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act provides that a retired President shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as President.
Additionally, Section 6 (2) requires retired presidents to play a consultative and advisory role to the government and the people of Kenya.
Nyoro’s comments come at a time when Kenyatta has been embroiled in a leadership dispute within the former governing party Jubilee.
Despite the legal requirement to exit politics, Kenyatta has organized a contested Jubilee Party National Delegate Conference (NDC) bringing together expelled officials.
Kenyatta who is expected by law to have retired as a leader of political party will host a beleaguered axis of the former ruling party at Nairobi’s Ngong racecourse on Monday.
Bomas of Kenya, Kenyatta’s preferred venue, was reported to be unavailable due to what its management termed as scheduled routine maintenance.
“Notice is hereby given that the venue of the Jubilee NDC has been moved to Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi,” Kenyatta who unsuccessfully backed opposition leader Raila Odinga to succeed him announced in a notice dated May 20.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
“All other details remain as per the notice published on April 29, 2023.”
Party coup
The last-minute change of venue despite initial defiance against a letter from Bomas of Kenya came amid a sustained onslaught by the party’s lawmakers having since shifted allegiance to President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance-led Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
The group led by East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega convened party organ meetings which ratified leadership changes which saw Kenyatta “retired” as Party Leader with all his allies toppled.
Kega replaced Jeremiah Kioni as Secretary General pending the convening of an NDC to formally constitute the party’s leadership.
Others expelled are Vice Chairpersons David Murathe and National Treasurer Kagwe Gichohi who was suspended for two years.
The Kega-led faction which controls all of Jubilee’s elected Members of Parliament dismissed Kenyatta’s intended NDC as inconsequential.
This even as Kioni termed alleged attempts to deny his faction a avenue for the NDC as an “expensive experiment on multiparty democracy.”
Kioni on Thursday claimed the Kenya Kwanza was attempting to interfere with the Jubilee party.
“The Kenya Kwanza regime wants to take away this jealousy-protected right. The Jubilee Party NDC scheduled for May 22 remains on course,” he said.
