Former Chief Justice David Maraga is elated after his induction to the Katiba Roll of Honour by the civil societies on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

Maraga was honoured as a constitution defender on Wednesday, August 27, a date that has now taken a special place in Kenya’s civic calendar as Katiba Day, dedicated to commemorating the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.

According to President William Ruto, the day will serve as a yearly reminder of every Kenyan’s responsibility to “obey, preserve, protect, and implement” the Constitution. However, it will not be recognised as a public holiday.

For civil society, lawyers, and constitutional defenders like the former CJ David Maraga, Katiba Day is far more than an official commemoration.

Since 2010, it has become a moment of reflection on the nation’s constitutional journey, a day to assess progress, confront setbacks, and reaffirm the struggle to defend rights and protect the rule of law.

Maraga’s legacy at the Judiciary

David Maraga has stepped into the spotlight with a renewed voice after serving as Kenya’s 14th Chief Justice between 2016 and 2020.

Maraga left a mark on the Judiciary after presiding over the Supreme Court ruling that nullified the 2017 presidential election, a historic decision that reverberated across Africa.

He later called for the dissolution of Parliament for failing to implement the constitutional two-thirds gender rule.

This Katiba Day, Maraga was inducted into the Katiba Roll of Honour, a recognition by civic organisers celebrating defenders of constitutionalism. In his acceptance of the induction while setting sights on the 2027 presidency, he declared:

“Ukatiba is my political ideology and philosophy through which we will reset Kenya to the rule of law and constitutionalism.”

Since retiring from the bench, Maraga has been a vocal critic of state overreach and weakening institutional checks. In recent months, his reflections have grown more political, touching on governance, accountability, and ethical leadership.

Marking Katiba on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, David Maraga paid tribute to Kenyans who fought for the enactment of the 2010 Constitution, hailing it as one of the most transformative in the world. He also honoured those who lost their lives in the struggle for constitutional change, describing them as “forever our Mashujaa.”