Former Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a dire warning about Kenya’s state of governance, declaring the country is on the verge of becoming a failed state. Speaking during an interview on K24 on July 21, 2025, Maraga voiced alarm over the deepening political and economic crises and the government’s response to recent anti-government protests.
“Look at what is happening in the country. We are getting into a failed state,” Maraga said, urging Kenya’s leaders to act decisively to restore constitutional order and economic stability.
The former CJ sharply criticised the administration of President William Ruto for suppressing citizens’ rights to protest, as enshrined in the Constitution. He condemned the excessive use of force by police and questioned the legality and morality of a recent directive by the president instructing police to shoot protesters in the leg.
“We have not heard in a peaceful state or in any state for that matter, a president issuing orders to shoot. I know he said shoot in the leg. How many people have been shot in the leg and have died?” Maraga asked, calling the directive a dangerous overreach of executive power.
His remarks follow President Ruto’s controversial July 9 order, in which he told police to shoot anyone destroying property in the leg, ensuring they are hospitalised and later prosecuted. The move has been widely criticised by human rights groups and the United Nations, particularly after reports that at least 31 people were killed in protests on Monday, according to a state-run body.
Maraga also criticised the government’s labelling of young protesters as terrorists, arguing the term is being misapplied to criminalise dissent. “Terrorism is a very serious offence involving explosives. What weapons did these youths have? Nothing at all,” he said.
Opposition leaders have accused the state of orchestrating violence, deploying unmarked police vehicles, and arming gangs in opposition strongholds. They have called for a nationwide boycott of businesses linked to the president’s allies.
Maraga’s warning comes as a sobering call for national reflection and urgent reform amid mounting public discontent.
