Former Chief Justice David Maraga has laid out his plan to
fix the country, should he be elected president in the 2027 general elections.
This came shortly after he, for the first time, announced his
bid for the country’s top seat in an interview on NTV, Wednesday night.
Maraga said he is very intentional about using professionals
should he be elected into office.
He said that for the country to run effectively, it needs
different professionals to handle the many different things.
The former Chief Justice said he would then allow them to do
their jobs without interference, but would demand accountability from them.
“I am a lawyer; we have very many other professionals. This
country requires very many people, and what I can place before Kenyans is that I
am going to get a team of professionals in various areas. I will not purport to
know what is done in the medical field. I will leave that to the experts.
“What I will do is necessary vetting and get the necessary
people in place, once there, allow them to work but call them to account. I
believe that is what is required, and if Kenyans trust me, I believe that is
exactly what I will do. I will provide leadership that will enable the
professionals to do their work as required, and the country will move forward,”
Maraga said.
He insisted that Kenya needs to reset back to
constitutionalism, where everybody has to obey the rule of law regardless of
who one is, and to have things work as stipulated in the constitution.
Here, Maraga said, he will lead by example as president and
lead the country into becoming an orderly state.
Maraga said, given a chance, he would focus on calling the
country to order, and that needs somebody courageous to do that. He said he is
that man.
“What we have right now is a situation where we are leading
to a total breakdown of the rule of law, those in authority think they can do
whatever they want and escape with it. If we continue with that, we cannot have
a country.”
He noted that corruption is sending the country to its
knees, and this is an issue he fully intends to face head-on, should he become
president.
“I know what I’m up against, that I am going to step on very
thick toes, but it requires someone to do and trust me, I will,” Maraga said.
He noted that during his time as head of the judiciary, all
who were investigated and found guilty of graft were sent home.
Maraga insisted that where there is evidence, he will
be the first person to send any person found culpable home.
In the announcement of his bid, Maraga said Kenya needs
fixing, and that is what he is out to do.
“This has come as a result of what has been happening
in the country. To see our young people being handled the way they have been
handled is something that is extremely worrying,” he said on NTV.
Maraga said he made the decision after consultations with
various people, including friends and others people.
He said that it is not right to allow people in leadership
to allow the country to be in the poor state it is currently in.
“After discussion with friends and others and after serious
reflection, I thought it was time we thought about the leadership of this country.
We can’t let some people literally throw our country to the dogs.
“We need to think about that seriously, and it is as a
result of that reflection that I have made up my mind that I will run for the
presidency in 2027.”