Maraga: Bullets won't fix Kenya's broken politics

Former Chief Justice David Maraga. [File, Standard]

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has accused President William Ruto's administration of weaponising the justice system and ordering police to shoot unarmed young people, saying Kenya risks collapse unless leaders act.

Maraga said police need urgent training on human rights after officers shot and killed protesters including unarmed bystander Boniface Kariuki who was shot while hawking masks in Nairobi.

"To shoot an unarmed bystander like Boniface Kariuki is shocking. It makes you question if the officer is a human being," said Maraga.

He noted that the police should know the consequences of shooting at close range and said it raises questions about whether officers understand human rights obligations.

"When you hear the president ordering the shooting of unarmed young people, I do not know how people feel; I get shocked," noted Maraga during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, July 15.

Maraga argued that neither the president nor the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has the power to order the shooting of protesters, describing the government's response as a weaponisation of the justice system.

"They are being called terrorists; they are not terrorists. These are young Kenyans whose only crime is to express their views. Instead of being applauded and supported, they are being killed and abducted," he said.

The former chief justice announced that he will run for president in 2027, stating that the country's high cost of elections locks out young people and that urgent reforms are needed.

"Unless we take action, our country is going to the dogs, and that is why I am running for office," he warned.

Maraga observed that many companies have shut down in Kenya due to poor management, adding that he will stand up to those in government who intimidate leaders into silence.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Murkomen, addressing the press on Tuesday, described the June 25 and July 7 protests as "pure, premeditated criminality" and said 42 people died and 1,500 were arrested during the unrest.

"Forty-two Kenyans regrettably lost their lives, and close to 600 were injured. Out of these injuries, 496 were law enforcement officers," noted Murkomen.

He noted that suspects face charges including terrorism, murder and robbery with violence, adding that 16 police stations were destroyed and five firearms stolen during the violence.

Murkomen said police officers accused of using excessive force will face prosecution, with one officer already charged with murder.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights recorded 38 deaths and at least 130 injuries from the protests, including a 12-year-old girl who was shot while watching television at home in Kiambu.