Former Chief Justice David Maraga is taking his political campaign beyond Kenya’s borders.
Maraga, the United Green Movement (UGM) co-party leader and its presidential flag bearer, plans to spend three weeks in the United States from September 17, meeting Kenyans living across several states as he builds support ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The former Chief Justice said the diaspora should have a greater voice in Kenya’s political and economic affairs.
Our Constitution recognizes the Diaspora as full partners in Kenya’s future, not just a source of remittances,” Maraga said.
His planned tour will take him to Delaware, Texas, New York and other states. According to his campaign secretariat, he is also expected to visit New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Georgia.
The meetings are expected to focus on governance, constitutionalism, development and the concerns of Kenyans living abroad.
The tour follows Maraga’s Ukatiba Caravan, which travelled through 43 counties between February and April. During the nationwide campaign, he held meetings with residents and discussed the state of Kenya’s institutions and democratic system.
His US visit will give him a chance to continue those conversations with a different constituency.
The diaspora is also economically important to Kenya. A recent Central Bank of Kenya survey found that the United States was the country’s largest single source of remittances. Between June 2024 and May 2025, cash remittances from the US stood at about Sh388.1 billion, while in-kind transfers were valued at Sh17.3 billion.
That economic influence has increasingly made the diaspora an important audience for politicians seeking national office.
Maraga has also indicated that his US trip will extend beyond meetings with Kenyan communities. He is expected to hold discussions with international leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The campaign says those engagements will touch on Kenya’s governance, democracy and development.
Maraga, who served as Chief Justice from 2016 to 2021, has positioned his 2027 bid around institutional reform, accountability and constitutional governance. His campaign describes its agenda as an effort to “Reset, Restore and Rebuild” Kenya.
The US tour comes as political activity begins to gather pace ahead of the 2027 election. For Maraga, the challenge will be to turn the goodwill generated by his public engagements into a broad political movement capable of competing nationally.
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