Maraga dismisses empowerment programmes, urges govt to revamp economy
Retired Chief Justice David Maraga has dismissed the recent empowerment drives in the country where senior state officials have traversed various parts of the country to dish out money to groups.
Speaking during a live TV interview on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Maraga stated that the recent spate of empowerment drives does not solve the underlying problems of the economy.
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“Don’t go out dishing money to people when you are supposed to revamp the economy so that these people can earn their own money,” Maraga said.
Unsustainable strategy
“When you give them Ksh1,000 or Ksh2,000, how long will it last? What we want Kenyans to know is that they should not be bought,” he added.
“They should not be given a few hundreds of shillings or thousands on the eve of the elections to vote for the wrong people.”
The remarks come just days after Kabuchai Member of Parliament Majimbo Kalasinga accused Kenya Kwanza MPs of diverting funds raised through national empowerment programmes for personal gain.
MP dismisses empowerment
Speaking in his constituency on Sunday, July 13, 2025, during a similar event, Kalasinga issued a stern warning to the Kenya Kwanza MPs, urging them to stop misusing the programmes for self-enrichment.
He criticised the trend where women are invited to fundraising events, but after raising the money, the funds are neither distributed on the same day nor the total amount raised during these events is fully disclosed. He said the beneficiaries often wait for weeks, only to receive a fraction of what was raised.
“Nataka kupeana advise kwa empowerment program ambayo inaendelea Kenya yenya inaitwa women empowerment mistumie Wanamaker kama kikwazo cha kupata pesa; nyinyi wenyewe mnaenda mnaita wamama wanajaa kwa uwanja, mnafanya fundraising, mnaraise pesa nyingi, na hamwagawi pesa hiyo siku, “Majimbo said.
Loosely translated to:
“I want to give some advice regarding the ongoing empowerment programme in Kenya known as Women Empowerment. Do not use women as a means to access money for yourselves. You call them to attend events, they fill the venue, and you conduct fundraisers where a lot of money is raised — but you don’t distribute that money on the same day.”
