BY: Frank Abura.
On June 22, 2026, Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki claimed that Kenya’s Constitution was designed to provide a two-term presidency and that anyone advocating for anything short of two terms is undermining the Constitution.
Kindiki made the remarks during a public address in a video shared by Citizen TV on Instagram on June 22, 2026. In the video, he says, “There is no such thing as one term in the Constitution,” before adding that “the Constitution has designed a two-term period for the President of Kenya” and that “anybody trying to sell a narrative of anything short of a two-term must know they are undermining the Constitution of Kenya.”
BACKGROUND
Kindiki’s remarks come at a time when the “Wantam” campaign has become increasingly visible ahead of the 2027 General Election. The slogan, derived from the English phrase “one term,” emerged in Kenya’s political debate in 2025 and has since been popularised by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other opposition leaders. It is used to express the view that President William Ruto should serve only one five-year term and be voted out in the 2027 General Election. The slogan has featured prominently at opposition political rallies, public gatherings and across social media platforms, where supporters use it as a rallying call. In response, leaders allied to the Kenya Kwanza administration have criticised the campaign, arguing that it amounts to premature campaigning and distracts from the government’s development agenda.
The most recent criticism of the campaign came from Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki. In his address, Kindiki argued that the Constitution was designed to give a president one term to introduce policies and development programmes and a second term to complete them. Based on this interpretation, he said promoting a one-term presidency goes against the Constitution.
The video also drew reactions from social media users. Many pointed to the Constitution, arguing that it only sets a maximum limit of two presidential terms and does not guarantee an incumbent a second term.
VERIFICATION
Article 142(1) of the Constitution of Kenya states that the President shall hold office for a term of five years beginning on the date they are sworn into office.
Article 142(2) states that a person shall not hold office as President for more than two terms.
These provisions define the length of a presidential term and set the maximum number of terms a person may serve. They do not state that every elected president is entitled to serve two terms.
Kindiki also said the Constitution was designed to give a president one term to begin development programmes and another to complete them. However, the Constitution does not contain any provision stating that the first term is for initiating programmes or that a second term is guaranteed for that purpose.
The Constitution also provides for circumstances in which a president may leave office after serving one term. These include losing a re-election bid, resigning from office, being removed through the constitutional process or dying while in office. In each of these situations, the president would have served one term without breaching the Constitution.
VERDICT
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s claim that the Constitution provides for a two-term presidency and that promoting a one-term presidency undermines the Constitution is not supported by the Constitution and is therefore FALSE.
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