Editor's Review

  • According to Kariuki, if the President heed the Chief Justice David Maraga's advice to dissolve parliament, he will have extended his term in office.
  • The AG was quoted by the Standard Newspaper, with his views attracting mixed reactions across the political divide.  

The Attorney General Kihara Kariuki has warned that President Uhuru Kenyatta could have another five years at State House if parliament is dissolved.

The AG argues that the law ties the president's term together with that of parliament by the fact that both the president and lawmakers are elected on the same day.

According to Kariuki, if the President heed the Chief Justice David Maraga's advice to dissolve parliament, he will have extended his term in office.

"If parliament commences a fresh term which falls out of the constitutional date for a general election, the same will have the effect of altering the term of the office of the president as, ordinarily, a presidential election may be held only on the same date as the general election date," says AG Kihara.

The AG was quoted by the Standard Newspaper, with his views attracting mixed reactions across the political divide.

A number of female leaders have backed the CJ's advisory to have parliament dissolved for failure to implement the two-thirds gender rule.

Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika on Wednesday said dissolving parliament was the only way to go. She dismissed suggestions to have the issue addressed by the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

"We already have the gender equity policy in the constitution. Let us implement the constitution. We cannot have this as part of BBI yet we do not even know what is in it.

"I don't see how BBI will be legitimate when we have an illegitimate parliament. Carrying out a referendum will require parliament. Let us implement the constitution by passing the law that implements it," stated Senator Kihika.

CJ Maraga had indicated that parliament needed to be held accountable for failing to implement the two-thirds gender rule.