Details of Octopizzo’s meeting with ex-CJ David Maraga
Kenyan rapper and activist Henry Ohanga, popularly known as Octopizzo, has revealed details of an impromptu meeting with former Chief Justice David Maraga, focusing on accountability, honesty, and youth leadership as the country looks ahead to the 2027 elections.
In a statement shared on his official X account on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Octopizzo expressed that he and Maraga exchanged thoughts on the significance of integrity in both public leadership and civic life, values he described as essential for Kenya’s next generation of leaders.
“Today, I had a very impromptu but deeply necessary catch-up with CJ Maraga. Our conversation centred around the values of accountability and honesty, principles that are not just foundational to leadership, but especially critical for the next generation,” Octopizzo wrote.
He emphasised that their discussion delved into the qualities that should define youth engagement in leadership and governance processes.
“A key part of our discussion reflected on the kind of courage, integrity, and responsibility that should define our youth engagement,” he noted.
Octopizzo, who has recently taken a vocal stance on social justice, further disclosed that the two leaders rallied for truth-based leadership, highlighting the importance of intentional conversations about leadership as Kenya approaches the 2027 election cycle.
“These are the conversations we must keep having, not just in passing, but intentionally as we look ahead to 2027 and beyond,” he stated.
“Leadership starts with truth, and it’s time we all lean into that with clarity and conviction,” he added.
Tough stance on politics and poverty
The meeting comes weeks after Octopizzo delivered a searing critique of Kenya’s political class, accusing leaders of turning poverty into a political tool.
In a widely shared statement issued on his X account on June 16, 2025, Octopizzo argued that rather than tackling the root causes of economic inequality, politicians have continued to exploit it for personal gain.
“In Kenya, poverty is no longer a crisis; it is a currency. Politicians don’t just ignore the poor; they farm them. They weaponise hunger to harvest votes, offer handouts in place of dignity, and build empires on broken promises,” Octopizzo stated.
He argued that the electoral process in Kenya has devolved into a vicious cycle where poverty is deliberately maintained to ensure political control.
“It’s not that the poor lack morals, NO, it’s that the system robs them of the space to practise them. Poverty has become the leash; elections, the collar. It’s traumatic!” the artiste wrote on X.
