Maraga jets back from the US, questions government's Ebola response

 

Maraga questioned how the patient managed to enter the country, interact with other people and eventually die despite the government’s assurances. [Okumu Modachi, Standard]

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has questioned the government’s preparedness to contain Ebola after a patient was confirmed to have contracted the disease and subsequently died, demanding urgent action to prevent further infections.

Speaking at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Tuesday evening moments after returning from a tour of the United States, Maraga questioned how the patient managed to enter the country, interact with other people and eventually die despite the government’s assurances that the country was prepared to detect and contain Ebola at its borders.

“When our brothers and sisters demonstrated in Nanyuki, we were given assurances that everything is under control, there is no way anybody is going to die. All measures have been taken to make sure that the disease doesn't spread here,” Maraga said.

“We don't know how many have been infected. We must demand that appropriate action be taken so that we don't have deaths arising from that disease,” he added.

His remarks came hours after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the first Ebola case, with one patient having been pronounced dead during the day, raising fresh questions about the country’s preparedness to handle a potentially deadly outbreak.

Maraga linked the Ebola concerns to broader questions over the state of Kenya’s healthcare system, saying health services were a constitutional right that should be prioritised by the government.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga spoke at JKIA after jetting back from his US tour on October 6, 2026. [Okumu Modachi, Standard]

He criticised the government’s decision to replace the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) with new healthcare financing arrangements, arguing that the previous system could have been improved through digitisation and by addressing corruption.

“All that was required was to deal with the corruption that was in the NHIF and digitise it and we would go on. That would not have even cost Sh10 million,” he said.

Maraga claimed the country had instead spent Sh104 billion on a system that Kenyans were now being told was not working, warning that citizens could not continue bearing the cost of shifting from one healthcare platform to another.

“At the Kenyan people's expense, we cannot have a country run on that,” he said.

The former Chief Justice also used his return from the US to highlight concerns raised by Kenyans living in the diaspora, particularly over electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Maraga said Kenyans living abroad were demanding that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) take voter registration services closer to them rather than requiring them to travel long distances to designated registration centres.

He said the government had a duty to take services to the people and urged IEBC to establish registration centres in different American states for periods long enough to allow Kenyans to register.

Among the reforms he said the opposition was demanding is the abolition of the national tallying centre, arguing that it was not provided for in the Constitution.

The United Green Movement party leader also called for a comprehensive audit and cleaning of the voters’ register, warning that the presence of deceased voters on the roll could undermine the credibility of the 2027 election.

“We have several voters who are dead, but their names are still in the voters' register,” he said.

Maraga further raised concerns over remarks by senior government and ruling party officials that dead voters could participate in elections, saying such statements should not be taken lightly.

“That is a serious thing and we are keenly watching what is happening,” he said.

He called for an election that is free, fair and transparent, insisting that IEBC must ensure the technology deployed in 2027 is reliable and capable of transmitting results as required by law.

At the same time, the ex-CJ criticised the secrecy surrounding the contract for the Dangote Oil Refinery in Lamu, saying the government should make the deal public if there was nothing sinister about the investment.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga spoke at JKIA after jetting back from his US tour on October 6, 2026. [Okumu Modachi, Standard]

On the 2027 political contest, Maraga said his immediate priority was to have electoral reforms completed in good time, particularly the cleaning and auditing of the voters’ register and ensuring the integrity of election technology.

He, however, remained guarded on the question of opposition unity and whether he would support another opposition candidate if he is not picked to run for president.

“Opposition leaders are in touch. We are discussing. Soon we will tell Kenyans what is going to happen,” he said.

His comments came amid renewed efforts by opposition leaders to forge a common political front ahead of the 2027 election.

On recent opinion polls placing President William Ruto ahead of individual opposition leaders, Maraga said Kenyans would ultimately have their say.

“The polls are there. Let them give their story. The Kenyans have their story,” he said.