Former Chief Justice David Maraga has officially announced his 2027 presidential bid.
Speaking on the night of Wednesday, June 18, 2025, during an interview with one of the local TV stations, Maraga said that he had made up his mind to run for the hotly contested presidency.
According to Maraga, the decision to run for the presidency came after discussions with friends and others, with him claiming that he made up his mind after serious reflection.
Mishandling Gen Z
Maraga further says that the move came as a result of the events that have been happening in the country, including the way the young people have been handled during protests.
“This has come as a result of what has happened in the country. You are a parent, and many others are also parents; to see the young people being handled the way they have been handled is something that is extremely worrying. After discussions with friends and others, and after a serious reflection, I thought it was time that we think about the leadership of this country. We can’t let some people literally throw our country to the dogs. We need to think about that seriously, and it is as a result of that reflection that I have made up my mind that I will run in 2027 for the presidency of this country,” Maraga said.
Maraga’s rise to activism
A section of Kenyans, led by former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi, have been pushing for Maraga to throw himself into the contest to unseat President William Ruto in 2027.
The push saw Maraga rise into an active activist, and he has been at the forefront, fighting for Kenyan human rights, including fighting the police over the way they have been handling issues.
Early this week, Maraga demanded the arrest of National Police Service (NPS) Inspector General Douglas Kanja, his deputy Eliud Lgata, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) director Mohammed Amin.
Speaking at a press briefing in Nairobi on Monday, June 16, 2025, Maraga stated that Lagat should be prosecuted, as there is enough evidence of his involvement in Ojwang’s murder, who died in detention on June 7, 2025.
“There is prima facie evidence that Eliud Lagat directly or indirectly, by himself or through his accomplices, is implicated in the illegal arrest, torture, strangulation, and eventual murder of the late Albert Ojwang. Yet Lagat remains in office,” he stated.
“It is now time to immediately arrest and institute prosecutions against Lagat. “Integrity demands that we must end impunity as guided by law and moral standing,” he stated.
Further, he stated that Kanja and Amin should be arrested for lying under oath and the role they played in Ojwang’s murder, saying Kenyans have lost trust in the institutions mandated with maintaining law and order.
“The three institutions charged with the maintenance of law and order, the NPS, DCI, and IPOA, have lied under oath. Consequently, they have lost the trust of the Kenyan people. This cannot be allowed to continue. Our institutions of human rights and justice are in serious need of resettling and rebuilding,” he stated.
“To begin this rebuilding and resettling process, arrest and prosecutions of the Director of DCI and the IG for their role in the death of Albert Ojwang, abuse of office and/or perjury must happen forthwith,” he added.
