Senate's Email Crashes as Over 200k Send Views on Extending Presidential Term: "We Apologise"

 

The Senate's email system has crashed following an influx of public submissions regarding the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024. The Bill was met with public anger, and Kenyans have been mobilising on social media to petition against it.  The bill, proposed by Nandi senator Samson Cherargei, aims to extend the term limits for the president, governors, Members of Parliament, and MCAs from five to seven years.  Kenyans protested about not being able to make their submissions, prompting the Senate to issue a notice.  

In response to the overwhelming feedback from Kenyans, the Senate took to social media platform X to announce the technical difficulties. "Thank you for the overwhelming response on The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No 2) Bill ,2024. Due to high volumes of submissions, our email system has temporarily experienced issues," the statement read. How did Senate's systems crash Senate officials confirmed receiving over 200,000 submissions, which exceeded the email system’s capacity. 

However, they assured Kenyans that they could still make their submissions by delivering them to the Office of the Clerk of the Senate or by using an alternative email, senatejlahrc@parliament.go.ke. The public participation window for the bill is set to close on Friday, October 25, as the Senate apologised for any inconvenience caused. "The Senate received over 200,000 submissions, reaching the maximum capacity of the allocated email addresses. Alternatively, you may send your submissions to; senatejlahrc@parliament.go.ke.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused," added the Senate. What did Kiambu senator say about Cherargei's bill As reported, Kiambu senator Karungo Thang'wa countered Cherargei's proposal by advocating for a reduction of the presidential term limit to four years. Speaking to the press on Wednesday, October 23, Thang'wa stated that a four-year term would enhance accountability, promote political participation, and create opportunities for new leadership in the country. He asserted that his proposed term limit would strengthen democratic norms in the country and allow citizens to hold their leaders accountable more often. 

by  Didacus Malowa