Maraga lands in Washington DC, for three-week US tour

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 17 – Former Chief Justice David Maraga has arrived in Washington DC, marking the start of a three-week United States tour through which he plans to engage Kenyans living in the diaspora on the country’s future.

Maraga, who is the United Green Movement (UGM) presidential flag bearer, arrived at Dulles International Airport on Wednesday and announced the start of the tour in a post on X.

“I have landed at Dulles International Airport, Washington DC, marking the start of my US Tour,” Maraga said.

He added that he would use the visit to engage Kenyans in different parts of the United States and hear their views on the country.

“I look forward to engaging with and listening to the views of Kenyans across different parts of the US over the coming days as we chart the way forward for our nation,” he said.

“Let us meet, share ideas, and build together.”

The tour, dubbed the Ukatiba Caravan Diaspora Edition, is scheduled to run from September 17 to October 5 and will take Maraga to Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, Georgia, Houston and Dallas.

His itinerary provides for two days in Washington DC before he travels to Maryland on September 19. He is scheduled to visit Delaware and New Jersey on September 20, followed by engagements in New York on September 21 and 22.

Maraga will then spend four days in Minnesota from September 23 to 26 before travelling to Georgia, where he is scheduled to hold engagements from September 27 to 29. The final leg of the tour will be in Texas, with stops in Houston from September 30 to October 3 and Dallas on October 4. He is scheduled to return to Nairobi on October 5.

The US tour follows Maraga’s nationwide Ukatiba Caravan, which he conducted between February and April, reaching 43 of Kenya’s 47 counties.

During the domestic tour, the former Chief Justice said he was seeking to listen to Kenyans on governance, constitutionalism and the country’s democratic future. His campaign has now extended those engagements to Kenyans living abroad.

Maraga has previously described the diaspora as an important partner in Kenya’s development and democratic processes.

“Our Constitution recognizes the Diaspora as full partners in Kenya’s future, not just a source of remittances,” he said ahead of the US tour.

The former Chief Justice entered the 2027 presidential race earlier this year after consultations with Kenyans and youth groups. He was subsequently unveiled as UGM’s presidential candidate.

His campaign has centred on constitutionalism, governance, institutional accountability and reforms, themes that formed part of his nationwide Ukatiba Caravan.

Maraga’s US tour also coincides with heightened political activity among Kenyan presidential aspirants in the diaspora. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party, has been conducting his own engagements with Kenyans in the United States since late August.

The two political figures have therefore been engaging Kenyan communities in the US at the same time as they position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Maraga’s visit is expected to include meetings with Kenyan communities as well as engagements on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to details released ahead of the tour.

The former Chief Justice served as Kenya’s Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court from 2016 until his retirement in January 2021. His tenure included the Supreme Court’s 2017 decision to annul the presidential election and order a fresh poll.

For the US leg of the Ukatiba Caravan, Maraga has framed the engagements around listening to Kenyans abroad, exchanging ideas and discussing the country’s future.