Ex-CJ David Maraga confirms 2027 presidential bid, hints at coalition backing

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has confirmed that he will run under a coalition of political parties, saying consultations are ongoing with various leaders who have backed his bid.

In an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Maraga said the most likely option for his presidential bid will be a coalition of parties, even though he did not rule out running under a single political party.

“I will run on a political party or a coalition of parties. The most likely option is the latter,” Maraga said, revealing that several parties had approached him.

“I’ve already got people who are worried in several parties, and they have said, ‘Look, would you like to run on my party? If not, we will support you. We’ll be one of the parties which will support you.’ So, most likely, I will run on a coalition of parties.”

However, Maraga declined to name the political parties offering their platforms.

“No, let’s not go to the identities. But believe me, there are quite a number of those who are,” he said.

He noted that his choice of coalition or party would be guided by shared ideology and values, insisting that it must reflect his vision for the country.

“The political party or coalition must reflect your values, your ideology… the Constitution of which will itself speak of the type of person they expect you to be. So it is important to have a party. We are looking at the Constitution and amending it appropriately to suit our vision manifesto,” Maraga explained, adding that the public could expect details towards the end of the year.

Responding to questions about his transition from judicial service to politics, Maraga said his decision to enter politics was not immediate but came after encouragement from citizens and extensive consultations with his family and friends.

“The conversation was about what is happening in the country. Several people talked about that. Somebody asked me whether or not I had thought of a political seat. I said, No. They said, ‘Look, you had better begin thinking.’ I said, I’ve never been a politician… I understand that if you need to contest the presidential position, you need at least 10 billion. I told them, ‘Look, forget about that. This can’t go on.’ After consultation with my family, with friends, and prayerfully reflecting on the issue, I decided to put in my bid,” he said.

Maraga dismissed the notion that lacking political experience would disadvantage him, arguing that Kenya needs principled leadership over political experience.

“With the crises that are ongoing in the country, we need to reset back to constitutionalism, to the rule of law. We need impunity to be dealt with squarely in this country. We need to restore the dignity of our people. You can’t have people being killed the way we are seeing,” he said.

“We can’t have people suffering and some of them dying from simple ailments that can be treated. We can’t afford to have our children sitting at home because there’s no funding for their education. You lose a generation of such young people.”

On the country’s economic challenges, he said Kenya’s worsening situation stems from poor governance.

“I’m sure you’re aware that several corporations have shut down in Kenya and gone to other countries. Some of them have downsized their operations. All this is because of poor management of our affairs. So we need to think seriously about that and change what we can do,” he added.

Maraga insisted he is the right person to lead the country, citing his experience in the judiciary where he resisted pressure from government forces.

“I believe I’m the person who can do it. Why? Because I have experience. I’ve experienced how the government sometimes operates. They would want to intimidate you not to do what you’re supposed to do. I saw that a lot when I was in the judiciary, and I stood firm. When you stand firm, sometimes you confuse them; they don’t know what to do with you,” he said.

He pledged to focus on leadership, bringing in experts to run various sectors.

“I’m not an expert in everything. I’m a lawyer. What I want to offer Kenyans is leadership. I will be like a captain, get competent people in various positions in government, give them the confidence to work, authorise them to do their work, and demand results,” he said.

“We are not short of competent people. We have very competent people all over,” Maraga said.