Retired Chief Justice David Maraga has criticised Parliament for failing to hold President William Ruto accountable, saying it has been compromised and can no longer perform its oversight role effectively.

Speaking during a local TV interview on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Maraga said many Kenyans have grown frustrated with the current administration and are demanding change.

According to him, calls for the President to resign reflect deep dissatisfaction with the way the country is being governed.

“What these people are saying in one term is that they are tired of Ruto’s governance system, and they are asking him to resign. What option is there for Parliament to do its work? Parliament has the power to impeach the President. The President has violated countless provisions of the Constitution,” Mararga said.

Maraga argued that Parliament has the power and responsibility to impeach the President when he violates the Constitution. He said the current regime has breached the law on multiple occasions and, under normal circumstances, the President would have already been removed from office.

However, Maraga noted that despite the growing public outcry and the constitutional grounds for impeachment, Parliament is unlikely to act. He suggested that lawmakers are no longer independent and have instead become loyal to the executive, abandoning their mandate to represent the people.

He maintained that if Parliament was working as it should, the President would have faced serious consequences for his actions. But due to political interests and lack of independence, he said, the institution has failed the country.

“If Parliament were doing its work, the President would not be in office today. The shortest route for this is for the President to resign, or if he fails to resign, Parliament is supposed to impeach him, but Parliament will not do that because it is captured,” he added.

Eyeing top seat

Maraga is one of the opposition leaders eying the top seat in 2027. He officially declared his bid for the presidency during a televised interview on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The former Chief Justice, who served from 2016 to 2021, said his decision followed deep personal reflection on the state of the nation.

“After serious reflection, I will run in 2027 for the presidency of this country,” Maraga announced.

He described his move as a response to what he called rising corruption, impunity, and ethnic-based politics in Kenya.

Maraga, who is widely respected for his integrity, made it clear that his campaign would not rely on wealthy donors or bribery. Instead, he intends to involve ordinary Kenyans directly.

“I am not going to require funds to dish out for people to vote for me,” he said. “I will make an appearance … for Kenyans to crowdfund for me.”