David Maraga: From CJ to activism, could he become King?

When David Maraga took oath of office as the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya. [File, Standard]

During the anti-government march of June 25, 2025, held to commemorate last year’s deadly protests that involved a breach of Kenya’s national assembly, Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga appeared on the streets of Nairobi, in solidarity with thousands of picketing youths. Videos showed excited, admiring crowds sidling up to him. The scene looked like a Presidential rally.

Maraga, the 14th Chief Justice of independent Kenya, and the second under the Constitution of Kenya 2010, will be vying for the presidency in 2027. On June 18, in a TV interview, he claimed the current government had lost legitimacy, hence his desire to lead the occupation of a void that needed sane minds.