Former Chief Justice and United Green Movement Party (UGM) leader David Maraga, now a 2027 presidential hopeful, has urged Kenyans with a sharp message, urging citizens to rethink the idea of empathetic leadership under the current administration.

Maraga’s latest critique of President William Ruto, posted on his X account on Monday, November 24, 2025, has intensified the political debate, casting renewed attention on the country’s economic direction as Kenyans weigh contrasting narratives of progress and struggle.

A challenge to Ruto’s claim of empathy

In his post, Maraga framed a stark choice for voters. “We can continue pretending that President Ruto understands our struggles and challenges, and that he will treat with utmost respect our blood, sweat, tears, and taxes,” he wrote. “Or we can choose an honest leadership that treats every tax shilling as if it’s the last we have, and invests it to create work and opportunities here.”

Ruto’s upbeat economic defence

His remarks arrive days after Ruto’s State of the Nation Address on November 20, 2025, where the president presented what he described as verifiable progress. He cited inflation dropping from 9.6 per cent to 4.6 per cent, a strengthened shilling stabilizing at 128–129 to the dollar from 165, and record-high reserves of $12 billion.

Ruto highlighted Kenya’s new ranking as Africa’s sixth-largest economy, surpassing Ethiopia and Angola, crediting IMF confirmations. “The world’s most respected economic assessors and market sentiment are affirming what we already know: that our economy is strengthening, our prospects are brightening, and confidence in Kenya is rising,” he said.

Dismissing naysayers, Ruto added, “Our critics, the high priests of eternal pessimism, who criticise without responsibility and tear down without offering alternatives, will want you to believe that our economy is going in the wrong direction.”

Clashing visions for Kenya’s future

Maraga’s sentiments align with earlier critiques, including his November 4, 2024, TV interview, where he argued that Ruto lost legitimacy by authorising lethal force during the June 2024 protests.

“If you can issue shooting orders against young people going to the streets to protest the finance bill, then you have lost the legitimacy as the President,” he said.

He pledged constitutional commitment if elected: “I would get every Kenyan to obey the law, starting with the president, because the president is not above the law.” As both figures advance opposing visions, Kenyans continue navigating the tension between official optimism and daily economic strain.