Former Chief Justice David Maraga has announced plans to roll out a nationwide campaign aimed at protecting the integrity of Kenya’s next General Election, saying the lessons from the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election should not be ignored.
The initiative, to be known as LindaKura, will be launched in the coming weeks and is intended to encourage public vigilance over the electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
In a statement posted on his social media platforms on Friday, Maraga said the campaign would build on a recent High Court decision that reaffirmed the legal position that election results announced at polling stations are final.
“In the coming weeks, my campaign will launch the #LindaKura initiative to consolidate the gains in the High Court ruling confirming that elections as announced at the polling station are final,” Maraga said.
The former Chief Justice made the announcement while reflecting on the Ol Kalou by-election, where Democratic Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Waweru secured a decisive victory over United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah.
Maraga congratulated voters in the constituency, praising what he described as their determination despite reports of intimidation during the electoral process.
“I applaud the people of Ol Kalou, who endured intimidation with courage and stood firm,” he said.
He argued that the by-election carried significance beyond a single constituency, describing it as an early test of the country’s electoral environment ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Ol Kalou was not a local contest. It is a rehearsal for 2027, and Kenyans must see it as such,” he said.
Maraga, who presided over some of Kenya’s most consequential election petitions during his tenure as Chief Justice, said his experience left him unable to remain silent if the standards governing free and fair elections were under threat.
“I have sat as Chief Justice of this Republic and adjudicated on what a free and fair election means. I will not now stand by and watch that standard be quietly buried ahead of the 2027 elections,” he said.
His latest remarks follow an earlier statement in which he condemned violence reported during the Ol Kalou by-election, including attacks on journalists covering the vote.
Maraga criticised the assault on members of the media by armed, hooded individuals, saying such incidents undermine transparency and public confidence in elections.
“We condemn the assault on the press by hooded gunmen, whose clear mission is to conceal evidence of electoral malpractice and gross violations of human rights. This is not democracy. This is impunity wearing the mask of an election,” he said.
He added that journalists play a vital role in ensuring public accountability during elections and should be able to report freely without intimidation. Maraga also called on the authorities to investigate the reported incidents and hold those responsible accountable, warning that failure to do so could weaken trust in Kenya’s democratic institutions.
The announcement places electoral accountability and transparency firmly at the centre of the political conversation as parties and civic groups begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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