Senate Motion Seeks to Remove Uhuru Kenyatta’s Retirement Benefits Over Alleged Political Activity
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has introduced a motion in the Senate that seeks to strip or significantly reduce the state-funded retirement benefits currently enjoyed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The motion is based on claims that the former Head of State has continued to take part in active national politics, which, according to the senator, goes against the rules set out in the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act.
In his presentation before the Senate, Samson Cherargei argued that the law governing retired presidents is very clear.
He explained that the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act is meant to provide pensions and other allowances to former presidents in a way that preserves the dignity of the office.
At the same time, it is intended to ensure that retired presidents remain politically neutral and instead serve the country in advisory or consultative roles when needed.
The motion specifically points to Section 6 of the Act, which restricts retired presidents from engaging in active political party activities beyond the allowed period after leaving office.
Cherargei emphasized that the law expects former heads of state to avoid partisan involvement and instead maintain a neutral position in national affairs. However, the motion alleges that Uhuru Kenyatta has not fully adhered to these expectations.
According to the details presented in the Senate motion dated May 4, 2026, the former president has allegedly been seen participating in political activities since leaving office.
These include attending political rallies, addressing meetings linked to certain political groups, and engaging in consultations and mobilization efforts tied to ongoing political competition across the country.
The motion also claims that he has made public statements that appear to support or oppose certain political leaders and parties, which raises concerns about his neutrality.
At the centre of the debate is a larger national question about whether taxpayers should continue funding retirement benefits for a former president who is allegedly still active in partisan politics.
Cherargei argues that public funds must be protected and used strictly in line with the law, especially when it involves high-profile state offices like that of a former Head of State.
Beyond calling for the withdrawal or reduction of benefits, the motion also pushes for accountability through a full investigation.
It proposes that the Office of the Auditor-General, working together with relevant government agencies, should carry out a comprehensive audit of all public resources allocated to Uhuru Kenyatta under the retirement benefits framework.
If the Senate approves the motion, the audit is expected to be completed within 60 days, after which a detailed report will be submitted back to the House for further action and consideration.
The aim, according to the motion, is to establish how state resources have been used and whether they have been accessed in line with the law.
Additionally, the motion proposes that if any funds are found to have been improperly used or can be recovered, they should not be returned into general government accounts without direction.
Instead, Cherargei suggests that such recovered funds should be redirected to programs that directly benefit ordinary Kenyan citizens.
For the motion to succeed in Parliament, it will require strong support from lawmakers, specifically a two-thirds majority of all Members of Parliament, as outlined under the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act.
This makes the outcome highly dependent on broad political agreement within both the Senate and the National Assembly.
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