"I Will Abolish Presidential Term Limits" Francis Atwoli Says, Alleged Why 10 Years Not Enough for Presidency

Francis Atwoli who the long-serving Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) has never been one to shy away from a political firestorm.

His latest pronouncement, however, has set stage for a political showdown.

With his characteristic bluntness, Atwoli has declared that if he were ever to hold the highest office in the land, his first order of business would be to scrap presidential term limits regardless of public pushback. 

Atwoli’s logic centers on the idea of continuity. Drawing from his decades-long tenure at the helm of COTU, he argues that real institutional change and nation-building cannot be condensed into a mere decade.

To him, the current two-term cap is a straitjacket that prevents visionary leaders from fully realizing long-term developmental goals.

He suggests that a leader just starts hitting their stride by the tenth year and forcing an exit at that point is a disservice to the country’s progress.

While Atwoli frames this as a necessity for stability and growth, the whether you like it or not delivery has ruffled feathers.

For many Kenyans, term limits are a sacred pillar of the 2010 Constitution, designed specifically to prevent the rise of lifelong presidencies and to ensure a healthy rotation of power.

Critics argue that abolishing these limits risks sliding back into autocracy, where the democratic process is stifled by entrenched incumbency.

Whether Atwoli is testing the waters for a future political bid or simply stirring the pot to influence constitutional debate, his comments have reignited a critical conversation.

Is ten years truly enough to transform a nation, or are term limits the only thing standing between democracy and a return to the "Big Man" politics of old?

One thing is certain that when Atwoli speaks, the nation listens even if they don't always like what they hear.