Gachagua: Abductions a plot to silence critics
"Trying to scare Kenyans into silence will not work."
6d agoBRIAN ORUTARealtime
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has called out Kenya Kwanza for its excesses in 2024 and demanded accountability and respect of the Constitution in the New Year.
In his New Year message to Kenyans, Maraga said 2025 must be the year of accountability “for those who caused so much pain to Kenyans in 2024".
“This must be the year that we stand firmly for constitutionalism, the rule of law and justice. Let us always remember our collective destiny and safeguard it,” he said.
The former Chief Justice added that Kenyan politics must never again be heartless and uncaring.
He condemned the killing, torture and abductions of the youth and called for the immediate release of those still being held unlawfully.
Maraga noted that Kenyans voted for a new constitution in 2010 to address the culture of impunity and confront the outright callousness and unresponsive attitudes to genuine issues of public concern.
He explained that it was the desire of Kenyans from all walks of life to take charge of their collective destiny.
“Fidelity to the Constitution is fundamental. It keeps us all grounded in our responsibility to build a just society. When Kenyans voted overwhelmingly for a new constitution in August 2010, they laid down a fundamentally new vision for transforming the country and nation. This is the vision that was at the heart of the June-July national protests dubbed "Gen Z",” he stated.
Maraga said the erosion of basic dignity and economic mismanagement sparked the cries of pain and outrage witnessed this year.
“We must urgently address the decline in vital sectors such as education and health. We must reset the economy to create decent jobs for our youth and restructure our tax regime to guarantee fairness and sustainability of the tax burden. This is possible. The country has done this before and can do it again,” he stated.
Maraga said Kenyans have shown resilience in 2024 in the face of adversity.
“We have seen Kenyans actively take charge and hold our public institutions to account and lead the way in demanding accountability as enshrined in the Constitution, even as they faced the brute force of a regime's push-back,” he stated.
He added that the responsibility of ensuring that instruments of power are not abused lies with office bearers.
