Ex-CJ David Maraga declares his 2027 campaign will be 'Wanjiku-funded', slams cash-driven elections

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has disclosed that he will appeal to Kenyans to fund his presidential campaign as he prepares to contest the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Maraga expressed concern over the high cost of elections, noting that money has been weaponised to block many capable Kenyans from leadership.

“One of the things I’m going to focus on is the electoral process in this country. When you demand or you make it so expensive, young people, our youths, will never get to elective positions. Our ladies, many of them, with very few resources, will never get to electoral positions. And that is not the way it is supposed to be. No, it is the way it has been made. People come in, steal your money, use it, buy your votes, and go to steal more. We want to change that. We will change that so that money doesn’t count in the elections,” he said.

He maintained that while campaign expenses are inevitable, he will not engage in vote-buying.

On his campaign budget, Maraga said preparations are ongoing but declined to reveal the figure.

“Yes, it is being worked on. The details are being worked on. We will require quite a substantial amount of money. I won’t tell now, but people are working on the likely budget,” he said.

However, he said he is confident Kenyans will contribute to his campaign.

“I’m convinced we are going to appeal to Kenyans to contribute to our campaign, and it’s going to succeed. The Kenyans will themselves fund this election, and once we are funded and get elected, you can rest assured that anybody trying to twist us or do anything, we’ll tell him, ‘Look, this is a Wanjiku-funded presidency’," he said.

Maraga said he will personally contribute only a small portion.

“Very little. I mean, one, two million shillings. I don’t have much money,” he said.

Asked how he plans to bridge any funding gaps if Kenyans fail to donate, Maraga remained optimistic.

“It is not going to be there. Let me tell you that the people we’re talking to, some we are meeting, saying, ‘Look, when are you setting up the paybill? We are going to pay.’ We are not asking for a lot of money from foreign individuals. We will leave it open,” he said.

“With the suffering the Kenyans have gone through, I can assure you that getting Sh10, Sh20, Sh50, and Sh100 from individuals will come in. And I can assure you, from the assurances we have been given from across the country, we are going to, in fact, if anything, we are hoping to get in excess. And my view is that once we get excess, whatever will be left, we’ll give it to a public cause,” he said.

He said details of his campaign budget will eventually be made public.

On the so-called empowerment programs run by politicians, Maraga criticised the practice, saying leaders should focus on fixing the economy rather than distributing cash.

“My view is that, look, don’t go dishing out money to people when you are supposed to revamp the economy so that these people can earn their own money. I mean, you give them Sh1,000, Sh2,000. I don’t even know how much is being given. How long does it last with them? What we want our Kenyans to know is that they should not be bought. They should not be given a few hundred shillings, a few thousand on the eve of the election, and they vote wrong people,” he said.

He further accused President William Ruto of failing to deliver on the promises he made to Kenyans in 2022. He cited rising unemployment, economic mismanagement, and the closure of businesses as proof that Ruto’s administration had failed.

“He promised young people that upon the completion of their education, he would work on their employment. The employment opportunities are shrinking by the day because of the mismanagement of the economy and political affairs. As I said earlier, it has made businesses close down and some of them move to other countries,” he lamented.

Maraga also accused the government of lacking clear policies in the education sector.

“Look at the education. We have policies. I mean, there is no clear policy on education, right from child development to universities. There have been several commissions that have been set up. Some of them have come up with very good recommendations. Those recommendations should be translated into policies. Those policies are lacking, so there’s total confusion,” he said.

He criticised the implementation of junior secondary transition, saying it was poorly planned.

“You had, for example, transition from primary to junior secondary with no facilities, with no infrastructure at all. And what the parents are left with is to see what they can do, and find that the teachers themselves are not trained or are not prepared for that. So it is chaos,” he said.

Maraga promised to involve professionals and eliminate political interference in the management of public affairs once elected.

“I’m listening to Kenyans, professionals, and what they are saying is they are not being allowed to run. Education is being interfered with left, right and centre. Even the recruitment of teachers is being interfered with from the State House, and as a result, some of the officers are disillusioned. I am going to have a team. I’m going to have officers who are competent in their respective areas and allow them to work,” he said.

Addressing concerns about the erosion of constitutionalism, Maraga said restoring the rule of law will also be central to his presidency.

“One of my major pillars is resetting the country back to constitutionalism. We have one of the best constitutions in the world, with elaborate provisions on literally every aspect of our lives. When it comes to human rights, we have an elaborate Bill of Rights. Demonstrations, what we sometimes call picketing, is there in the Constitution,” he said.