President William Ruto has fired back at former Chief Justice David Maraga for labelling Kenya a “failed state,” calling the remarks hypocritical and questioning Maraga’s credibility to seek leadership. Speaking at the Nairobi Securities Exchange on July 23, Ruto accused Maraga of undermining the very institutions he once served and dismissed his criticism as politically motivated and dishonest.
Body (CMS-Ready):
President William Ruto has delivered a sharp rebuttal to former Chief Justice David Maraga following Maraga’s recent remarks describing Kenya as a “failed state” and warning of democratic decline.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, during the Talanta Bell-Ringing ceremony at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Ruto said Maraga’s comments were not only reckless but hypocritical given his long tenure in public service.
“I listened to one gentleman the other day; after working for 40 or 50 years, he wants to be president. I listened to him saying that Kenya is a failed state, and I asked myself, for 40 years, you have been working in a failed state?” the President said.
Ruto questioned how someone who had spent decades working within the very system he now condemns could seek the country’s highest office.
“You want us to entrust you with leadership of a country you don’t believe in and a people you don’t believe in?” he posed, suggesting Maraga’s remarks lacked moral consistency.
Ruto further accused the retired CJ of dishonesty, saying it’s unjustifiable to seek to lead a country that one portrays as broken.
“It is dishonest and hypocritical for someone to rubbish the country’s institutions and then turn around and want to lead it,” he added.
Maraga’s ‘Failed State’ Warning
Ruto’s reaction came in response to a July 21, 2025 interview in which David Maraga, Kenya’s 14th Chief Justice, warned that the country was “sliding into a failed state.” He cited political repression, economic turmoil, and state-sponsored violence against protesters as signs of the nation’s decline.
“Look at what is happening in the country—we are sliding into a failed state. You cannot suppress people’s right to demonstrate and express themselves,” Maraga told K24 TV.
The retired CJ criticised the government’s handling of recent anti-government protests, particularly the alleged abductions and killings of demonstrators, and condemned the use of terrorism charges against dissenters.
“Others are abducted, some are killed, and others charged with serious criminal offences simply for expressing their views,” he said, pointing to what he termed a systematic erosion of constitutional rights.
Political Undercurrents
Maraga, who left office in 2021, has recently re-entered the public space amid growing speculation over a possible political run. His hard-hitting critique of President Ruto’s administration has fueled discussions about potential alliances in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections.
Ruto’s remarks mark the latest escalation in a brewing war of words between his government and prominent critics, especially those voicing support for youth-led Gen Z protests and condemning alleged state overreach.
As the political temperature rises, observers say the exchange reflects deeper frustrations over governance, economic inequality, and the right to dissent, which have dominated Kenya’s national discourse in recent months.
