Kenya’s Senate email system crashed Thursday under an unprecedented deluge of more than 200,000 public submissions responding to a controversial bill proposing to extend presidential, gubernatorial, and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.
The avalanche of responses, which Senate sources told The Star newspaper arrived “every second,” forced the legislative body to establish an alternative email address after their system reached maximum capacity. The volume of submissions marks an unprecedented level of public engagement, with officials confirming no previous bill has generated such widespread response.
“Due to high volumes… our email system has temporarily experienced issues,” the Senate announced on its X social media account, reflecting the intensity of public reaction to the proposed constitutional amendments introduced by Senator Samson Cherargei.
The legislation, which also aims to create a prime minister position and increase county administration funding, has drawn sharp criticism even from within President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Party Secretary-General Hassan Omar condemned the proposal as “repugnant and backward” in comments reported by the Nation newspaper, while Ruto’s administration has distanced itself from the initiative.
Cherargei defended the proposed extension, arguing seven-year terms would provide sufficient time for elected officials to fulfill campaign promises. However, the timing of the bill has sparked particular outrage as Kenyans continue struggling with economic hardships that sparked violent demonstrations last year, resulting in approximately 40 deaths.
The public backlash reflects deepening cynicism toward political leadership following recent tax increase protests and represents the second failed attempt to modify presidential term limits since Ruto’s 2022 election. A previous proposal to replace term limits with a 75-year age cap similarly collapsed amid public opposition.
President Ruto has previously rejected attempts to alter term limits, describing such efforts as “unnecessary and an exercise in futility.” A Senate committee will now evaluate the flood of public responses as the deadline for submissions closes Friday.
