By Nyang’au Araka
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has pledged to confront impunity and state capture, accusing President William Ruto’s administration of failing Kenyans.
Maraga, the United Green Movement (UGM) Party’s co-leader and presidential flagbearer for the 2027 General Election, said the country needed a fundamental change in leadership anchored in integrity, accountability and respect for the Constitution.
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Speaking at the party’s National Governing Council meeting at Merica Hotel in Nakuru, Maraga said Kenyans were hurting and deserved a government that served their interests rather than pursued personal gain.
“This election is ours to lose,” he declared, expressing confidence in his presidential bid and insisting that his ambition was to serve the country, not secure a job or enrich himself.
Maraga cited his record in public service and legal practice as evidence of his commitment to integrity, recalling a 2005 ruling involving 5,000 tonnes of imported sugar belonging to Commodity House that had been detained at the Port of Mombasa by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
KRA had argued that the previous year’s import quota had been exhausted.
Maraga said he found the authority had acted dishonestly and ordered the release of the consignment without customs and warehouse charges, holding it responsible for the delay.
He presented the case as an example of his willingness to hold powerful institutions accountable, irrespective of the interests involved.
The former Chief Justice also addressed corruption allegations raised during his 2012 vetting by the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board.
He maintained that he had never accepted a bribe and would never do so, adding that the board ultimately found him suitable to continue serving in the Judiciary.
Drawing on his years in legal practice in Nakuru, Maraga said public office required leaders who could withstand pressure and resist attempts to compromise their principles.
He identified the weakening of institutions responsible for protecting public resources and enforcing accountability as a major governance challenge, pledging to restore their independence and ensure they operate within the law.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) would be among his administration’s priorities, he said, promising to begin addressing the challenges facing the institutions within the first 10 days of taking office rather than wait for the traditional 100-day period.
“We only need to follow the Constitution,” he said, arguing that Kenya already had the legal framework needed to address its governance problems but lacked leaders willing to enforce it.
Maraga also criticised the use of state force against citizens, questioning how a government could claim to uphold the rule of law while shooting the people it was elected to serve.
He called for the protection of human dignity, respect for citizens’ rights and accountability through due process.
Responding to Ruto’s assertion that the opposition lacked an agenda, Maraga said his candidacy offered an alternative centred on accountable leadership, independent institutions and public service rather than personal enrichment.
He also highlighted the role of Kenyans living abroad following his recently concluded diaspora tour of the United States, linking their engagement to the need for a peaceful and credible 2027 General Election.
Maraga said his participation in the United Nations General Assembly had been made possible by Kenyans rather than the government.
He also recalled telling US technocrats during a meeting with a Senate committee that they could not afford to lose Kenya, emphasising the importance of the country’s democratic stability.
He urged UGM officials to build on the diaspora engagements by strengthening party structures and mobilising support ahead of the election.
Maraga said his appeal to voters would rest on his public service record and the principles he represented rather than promises of personal rewards.
“I am ready. Let us work and win this election,” he told the council.
He challenged party officials to take responsibility for presenting Kenyans with a credible alternative to the Ruto administration.
“We must be ready to take our space. We cannot afford to let Kenyans down,” he said.
