Maraga: I didn’t attend Standard One to Three in primary school
By Nancy Marende, November 24, 2025Former Chief Justice David Maraga has shared a surprising and inspiring story from his early childhood, revealing that he never attended Standard One, Two, or Three due to financial difficulties at home. Despite this unconventional start, he rose from a humble village in Nyamira to become one of the most respected figures in Kenya’s judiciary.
Speaking during an interview with Obinna TV Extra on Monday, November 24, 2025, Maraga, who was born and raised in Bosose, Nyamira County, said he came from a very poor family, one that valued education but lacked the resources to support it.
“By the way, I didn’t go to Standard One, Two, and Three. There was no fees,” he stated.
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He recalled the moment he attempted to start school in Standard One but quickly realised how out of place he felt.
“I went to standard 1 in the morning; I looked odd because I was very old compared with the young kids there. Nilichelewa kuenda shule, so in the afternoon, I just walked to where my agemates were in class three, third term. Those days, they were not very strict,” he revealed.
His parents, though uneducated, fully supported his determination.
“My parents didn’t understand what I was doing. They didn’t go to school, but they wanted me to pass,” Maraga said.
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Further, he disclosed that as the second last born in his family, he was surrounded by older siblings, some of whom are still alive, while others have since passed on.
“I am the second last born. My elder brothers are there, and my sisters, some are deceased.”
From Sironga Primary School, Maraga proceeded to Maranda High School, then to Kisii High School for Forms Five and Six, before finally joining the University of Nairobi, where he studied from 1974 to 1977.