United Green Movement (UGM) party leader and presidential hopeful David Maraga has declared willingness to join the united opposition leaders in a bid to unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 elections.
Mr Maraga, who was speaking in Mombasa, says his readiness to work with other opposition leaders is driven by his resolve to tackle the challenges facing the country, citing impunity and corruption as his biggest concerns.
He says his fight is to ensure the country returns to the reins of constitutionalism and respect for the rule of law, warning that Kenya is on the verge of a crisis due to the theft of public resources.
“We want to remove President Ruto from power. I want to join leaders who are fighting to restore public confidence and fight corruption. Those fighting for that are the people I believe in and we’re going to join hands because we are on the same course,” he said.
Additionally, he condemned the chaos witnessed at Witima ACK church in Othaya one week ago, supporting calls by the united opposition for nationwide demonstrations to demand accountability and action against the perpetrators.
According to Mr Maraga, the attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and worshippers was executed by government-sponsored thugs, calling it a disgrace to the nation. He affirmed that violence and intimidation, especially in places of worship, have no place in Kenya’s democracy.
“I fully support nationwide demonstrations because we cannot have churches being teargassed. People go to church to pray and police are supposed to be restrained,” he added.
The former Chief Justice planned his Coast tour to coincide with World Wetlands Day, which is marked annually on February 2. He said the environment is a shared heritage, insisting that everyone has the right to a clean and healthy environment, an advocacy his party has been championing.
He accused the government of blatant disregard for environmental issues by failing to protect some of the country’s natural resources. Mr Maraga added that the country is not doing well in conservation efforts, saying he is concerned about the lifting of the ban on logging that had been in place since 2018.
President Ruto lifted the six-year ban on logging in public forests late last year to boost the timber industry, create jobs and reduce furniture imports. The policy, which affects areas such as the Mau Forest, restricts harvesting to mature trees, a decision that sparked an environmental outcry over the increased risk of deforestation.
“The destruction of Mau summit is being felt by the people in the lowland areas. We know what climate change has done to the world and we in Kenya should be very, very careful. Instead of conserving the remaining forests we have, we are destroying it,” said Mr Maraga.
The UGM party brigade is on a tour of the Coast region to carry out a mass voter registration campaign, urging the youth to come out in large numbers and register as voters. Party leaders say the youth will be the deciding factor if the opposition is to win the 2027 presidential election.
“Get your ID cards and register as voters so that 2027 you’ll have a say. That is the only way because the way things are going, we must bring change. Vote for those you belive will bring change and as UGM we want to change the governnace in this country," he said.
