By Nyang’au Araka
United Green Movement (UGM) presidential aspirant David Maraga has launched a scathing attack on President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of entrenching corruption, undermining the rule of law and driving the country into economic decline.
Speaking during a State of the Nation address at Ufungamano House on Tuesday, Maraga said he had entered politics not out of personal ambition but because Kenya was facing an urgent national crisis.
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“I have come to this political space because of an urgent national need,” Maraga said, noting that he accepted calls from Gen Z activists and other Kenyans to contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election after “deep reflection and extensive consultations.”
The former Chief Justice painted a grim picture of the country, alleging that the government had transformed public institutions into avenues for personal enrichment and corruption.
“Today, under William Ruto, that extractive system has become a full-blown criminal enterprise,” Maraga said, accusing senior government officials and business associates of using programmes such as the Social Health Authority (SHA), affordable housing projects, public-private partnerships and major infrastructure projects to siphon public funds.
Maraga claimed Kenya was losing billions of shillings daily to corruption and criticised the country’s rising public debt, which he said had ballooned from Sh1.77 trillion at the end of former President Mwai Kibaki’s administration to nearly Sh13 trillion.
He further faulted the government for excessive borrowing and securitisation of future tax revenues, arguing that the practice was burdening future generations.
The UGM leader based much of his address on findings from the Ukatiba Caravan, a nationwide tour he undertook earlier this year across 43 counties. According to Maraga, Kenyans consistently raised concerns about disregard for the rule of law, state capture, corruption, youth unemployment, a struggling economy and collapsing healthcare and education systems.
Among the stories he cited was the death of an elderly Kisii resident during a political event.
“Corruption has reduced them to desperate beggars in their own country,” he said, referring to wananchi’s frustrations during the tour.
Maraga also warned that rising youth unemployment posed a serious threat to national stability. He noted that about 1.2 million young people enter the labour market annually, yet opportunities remain scarce.
“If we continue normalising political violence and turning our unskilled youth into political goons, we endanger our national security and it is only a matter of time before we descend into anarchy,” he warned.
On healthcare, Maraga said many hospitals lacked medicines and essential supplies, while families were being forced to sell land and other assets to meet medical expenses. He described the education sector as dysfunctional and criticised the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
The former Chief Justice outlined a three-point agenda built around “Reset, Restore and Rebuild,” promising strict adherence to the Constitution, restoration of institutional independence and aggressive action against corruption if elected president.
“My administration will not treat the Constitution as a suggestion. The Constitution will be our absolute command,” he said.
Maraga pledged to empower anti-corruption agencies, recover stolen public assets and reduce the cost of doing business to revive manufacturing and job creation.
In one of the strongest political statements of the address, he declared that the 2027 General Election would be a defining moment for the country.
“The 2027 general election will therefore be a defining moment. It will be a make-or-break election. It will be the Ukombozi election,” he said.
Calling for opposition unity based on shared values rather than political expediency, Maraga urged Kenyans to reject ethnic politics and rally behind constitutionalism, accountability and the rule of law.
