KIRINYAGA, Kenya — Former Chief Justice David Maraga has urged residents of Kirinyaga County to register as voters, warning that the upcoming general election will be a defining moment in the country’s fight against corruption and misuse of public resources.
Speaking during a series of public engagements in towns across Kirinyaga, Maraga said Kenya possesses vast economic potential but continues to struggle with widespread theft of public funds.
“Kenya is a very rich country, but the problem is theft of public funds,” he told residents during a stop in Ngurubani town.
The former head of the Judiciary of Kenya cited recent allegations of financial mismanagement linked to the Social Health Authority (SHA), questioning whether Kenyans would allow such claims to go unchallenged.
“You have heard that Sh50 billion has been stolen through the Social Health Authority. Are we going to allow this to continue?” Maraga said.
He also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in health insurance claims, referencing reports of suspicious maternity records under the public health scheme.
“We are told one woman is giving birth to 10 children per year — is that not a scam?” he asked the crowd.
Maraga urged residents to take responsibility for the country’s governance through active participation in the electoral process.
“I want to rehabilitate this country and bring it back to the Kenyans,” he said.
The former Chief Justice, who presided over the landmark 2017 Kenyan presidential election nullification that annulled the presidential results, said elections provide citizens with a constitutional opportunity to hold leaders accountable.
He argued that persistent corruption undermines service delivery in critical sectors such as healthcare and education.
“If the government were not corrupt, hospitals would have drugs, and all children would be in school. Are there drugs in your hospitals in Kirinyaga? Are all children in school?” he asked.
“The election will be a defining moment in the history of our country. Please, people of Kirinyaga, register as voters so that you can vote next year and vote out this corrupt government,” he said.
Maraga said the next election will determine whether the country can reverse what he described as entrenched corruption within government institutions.
Kenya’s electoral process is administered by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which periodically conducts voter registration drives to enable eligible citizens to participate in national and local elections.
