Maraga vows to restructure IEBC to empower youth in politics
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has vowed to overhaul the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) if given the opportunity, saying the current political system heavily favours wealthy elites and marginalises the youth.
Maraga’s comments come amid growing frustration among young Kenyans, many of whom feel shut out of the political process.
You might also like
In an interview with K24 TV on Monday, July 21, 2025, Maraga criticised the monetisation of politics in Kenya, calling for urgent reforms to create a level playing field.
“If given a chance, one of the first things I would do is to restructure the IEBC. The goal is to ensure that our youth have a real chance to run for office without needing billions of shillings. We need to take money out of politics,” he asserted.
Maraga decried the widespread practice of vote-buying and extravagant campaign spending, stating that it undermines democracy and entrenches corruption.
“Somebody spends billions of shillings, wonderful, but all that money is money that they have stolen,” he said.
“Even those who bring out money, we must ask, where did it come from?”
The former CJ pointed out how economic desperation among voters is exploited by political elites.
“You go to a campaign rally, and people are lined up, being given 500 shillings each. It’s not because they like those politicians so much—it’s because they’re desperate. That 500 shillings means a meal for the day,” he said.
Parliament weakest link?
Maraga lamented the lack of political will to uphold the Constitution, accusing the current leadership of ignoring key provisions meant to ensure fairness and inclusion.
“We have Article 10, which talks about the principles of governance. We’re supposed to promote inclusivity, integrity, and accountability, but none of that is being followed,” he explained.
He further called out Parliament for failing to enact legislation that ensures gender and disability representation, as mandated by the 2010 Constitution.
“It’s been more than a decade. Parliament was supposed to pass laws so that no more than two-thirds of any elected or appointed body is from one gender. That has never been done,” Maraga said.
Highlighting the importance of a constitutional reset, Maraga said, “When we talk about a reset, we mean going back to the Constitution.
“We’re talking about implementing public finance principles, transparency, accountability, and equitable sharing of resources.”
In a striking remark, Maraga hinted at what he believes a functioning democracy would have done under current conditions.
“In an ideal country, in an ideal democracy, Parliament would have impeached the president by now,” he said.
“Kenya cannot continue on a path where money determines leadership,” he concluded. “We must restore hope to the youth. They deserve a system that gives them a fair shot, not one that asks them to buy their way into power.”
