Former CJ Maraga hints at presidential run, says Kenya needs accountable leadership
“If I was to be given the privilege to govern this country, I would get everybody to obey the law," Maraga said.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has sparked speculation about a potential presidential bid, saying that if given the opportunity to govern, he would ensure strict adherence to the law to combat corruption.
Speaking on Thursday during the People Dialogue Festival at Uhuru Park, Maraga condemned graft as Kenya’s biggest challenge and stressed the need for accountable leadership.
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“The truth of the matter is what is ailing this country and very many African countries is corruption. The moment you deal with corruption, we will have no problem,” Maraga said.
He added, “If I was to be given the privilege to govern this country, I would get everybody to obey the law.”
“The moment you have everybody obey the law, everything will fall into place. And that is the only problem we have.”
When asked whether he would consider running for president, Maraga posed a rhetorical question stating, “I want to ask you: which type of leader would you want to have? The state of the country is bad... It’s open for everybody to see that the resources are being plundered, right, left, and centre. The leadership that is required is one that is accountable to the people. The leadership we need is one who understands that when you are in a position of leadership, you are just a trustee of the people.”
Presidential term limit
Maraga also criticised attempts to extend the presidential term limit, attributing such discussions to leaders’ selfish ambitions.
“Our Constitution is one of the best. The problem we have is corruption and personal gain. Leaders want to get to political power to enrich themselves. As a result, they do not want to implement the provisions of the Constitution,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of the Supreme Court, as he also weighed in on the petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Martha Koome and other judges.
Maraga dismissed them as dishonest and politically motivated. He argued that the cases were being used for personal and political gain rather than genuine accountability.
“The problem is that we have people coming up with false allegations which are not there. You need to read the petitions that have been filed against the judges of the Supreme Court and see where the problem is,” he said.
“If the petitions would have been solved by those authorities where those petitions are supposed to be addressed, then the problem would have been solved. It is a question of dishonesty for personal gain or to assist others to achieve a political end.”
Earlier this year, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) received petitions seeking to remove Chief Justice Koome and six other Supreme Court judges over alleged incompetence and misconduct.
The petitions, filed by former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju's Dari Limited, former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi and lawyer Christopher Rosana, were sparked by the controversy surrounding the Supreme Court's ban on Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi and his law firm.
In response, CJ Koome and the other judges filed petitions in the High Court to stop the JSC proceedings, arguing that the commission lacked authority over Supreme Court decisions. Justice Njoki Ndung’u described the ouster process as “unconstitutional.”
The High Court later issued temporary orders halting the JSC’s actions, preventing a potential constitutional crisis.
Maraga’s vocal stance on corruption and leadership has fueled speculation that he could be considering a run for the presidency in the 2027 general election.
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