Early life and legal career
Maraga's path to the bench ran through decades of private practice before his 2003 appointment to the High Court. He graduated from the University of Nairobi and was admitted to the bar in 1978, then spent roughly a quarter of a century as a practising advocate.
A devout Seventh-day Adventist, he is widely known for declining to work on the Sabbath, a personal discipline that became part of his public profile during his confirmation hearings. His refusal to compromise on that conviction, even under questioning, offered an early glimpse of the temperament he would carry to the Supreme Court.
His steady rise through the High Court and Court of Appeal built a reputation for careful, principled judgments and an unflashy commitment to the letter of the law.
Chief Justice and constitutional guardian
As Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court from 2016 to 2021, Maraga championed judicial independence at moments of high political tension.
He also chaired the Judicial Service Commission and pushed for reforms to clear case backlogs and protect the courts from political interference. He repeatedly clashed with the executive over funding for the judiciary and the appointment of judges, framing those fights as battles over the separation of powers rather than personal disputes.
It was during this period that the 2017 election annulment cemented his national and international standing as a judge willing to rule against power.
A new chapter in public life
After retiring in 2021 upon reaching the constitutional retirement age, Maraga largely stayed out of the spotlight before announcing his 2027 presidential bid in June 2025.
His candidacy ties his judicial record on accountability and the rule of law to a broader political message about resetting and rebuilding Kenya. In effect, he is asking voters to extend the trust they once placed in his judgments to the work of governing.
Whether Kenyans embrace that pitch will be decided at the ballot in 2027. What is already clear is that the man who annulled a presidency now wants to hold one.