NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 21 — Former Chief Justice David Maraga has accused President William Ruto’s administration of “bottomless greed,” warning that the newly assented Privatization Act opens the door for the uncontrolled sale of Kenya’s national assets without adequate parliamentary oversight or public participation.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Maraga said the timing of the President’s signing of eight controversial bills on October 15 — the same day Odinga’s death was announced — was “a shameful act that mocks the ideals of justice and democracy” that Raila stood for.
“At the very moment the nation was mourning the passing of Right Honorable Raila Odinga, President Ruto was at State House signing into law not one, but eight bills, some of which [are] quite draconian,” Maraga said.
“What a shame that the President could be doing that when the rest of the country was mourning.”
Among the laws signed that day were the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime (Amendment) Act, the Land (Amendment) Act and the National Police Service (Amendment) Act.
Maraga warned the new Privatization Act, dangerously concentrates power in the hands of the Treasury Cabinet Secretary and the Privatization Authority, both of whom he described as “handmaids of the President.”
‘Bottomless greed’
He warned that under the new law, the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury could unilaterally prepare and approve a privatization program valid for eight years, including the sale of strategic state corporations and public assets, without requiring detailed valuation reports or meaningful parliamentary approval.
“The new Privatization Act grants Ruto powers to do what he pleases with national assets,” Maraga declared.
“In its characteristic, inexplicable, and bottomless greed, Ruto’s government plans to embark on an unchecked spree of auctioning this country’s treasured public entities to cronies and proxies of those in power.”
Maraga further alleged that the Act undermines transparency by exempting disclosure of buyers in cases where privatization occurs through initial public offerings (IPOs) — a move he said “shields politically connected beneficiaries from public scrutiny.”
The former Chief Justice, who has announced plans to vie for the presidency in 2027 under the United Green Movement (UGM) Party, said the legislation erodes public accountability and poses a grave threat to national sovereignty.
“Prosperity will not come by selling our strategic assets but by empowering citizens to work freely and participate in nation-building,” he said.
“A state that cannibalizes its institutions and betrays its people [is] not fit to continue ruling over Kenyans.”
‘Lost legitimacy’
Maraga also criticized amendments to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, saying they were designed to “control and crush political dissent and online activism” under the guise of combating cybercrime — echoing fears raised during the 2024 youth-led protests against the Finance Bill.
He vowed to support ongoing legal efforts challenging the constitutionality of the new laws, declaring that President Ruto has “lost legitimacy to lead” by repeatedly violating the spirit of the 2010 Constitution.
“These amendments are unconstitutional, null, and void,” Maraga said. “A President who does not respect the Constitution has no legitimacy to continue governing this country.”
Ending his address, Maraga urged Kenyans to defend their sovereignty as enshrined in Article 1 of the Constitution, reminding them that power ultimately belongs to the people, not to Parliament, the Executive, or foreign investors.
“We must all stand up and defend our sovereignty,” he said. “The power lies with us — the sovereign people of Kenya.”
