How Maraga’s Sh50-bob army can shatter Ruto’s rule » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya July 22 – Former Chief Justice David Maraga’s Sh50-bob fundraising plan is quickly gaining support as more Kenyans back his 2027 presidential bid.

Within just 48 hours of launching his campaign website, davidmaraga.com, his team announced that they had raised over Sh500,000 from small donations, a sign of growing frustration with President William Ruto’s government and a strong desire for change.

Maraga, branding himself as the “people’s candidate,” is betting on ordinary Kenyans to bankroll his campaign with contributions as low as Sh50.

“I will put in very little money, around Sh1 million or Sh2 million. I don’t have much money. We will require a substantial amount of money, and we are going to appeal to Kenyans to contribute to our campaign,” he stated during the website launch on July 18, 2025.

Running under the theme “Reset, Restore, and Rebuild Kenya,” Maraga is targeting youth and frustrated citizens who feel let down by Ruto’s government.

Political analysts say that if his crowdfunding model holds, it could give him the resources to mount a serious challenge in 2027, contrasting sharply with President Ruto’s 2022 campaign, which was financed by billion-shilling donations from wealthy allies.

Maraga’s approach is a direct departure from Kenya’s entrenched culture of money-driven politics.

By leaning on the country’s long-standing tradition of harambee (community fundraising), which has built hospitals, schools, and even saved lives, Maraga hopes to spark a “people-powered movement” that rejects elite capture of political campaigns.

“I’m confident Kenyans will come through. With the suffering they have gone through, I’m sure they will contribute Sh50, Sh100, or more. Whatever is left after the campaigns will go back to a public cause,” Maraga remarked, signaling transparency in how the funds will be used.

The early success of his fundraising drive is being viewed as an indicator of public frustration over the rising cost of living, heavy taxation, and governance challenges under Ruto’s rule.

While critics like Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei dismiss Maraga’s strategy claiming a presidential campaign needs at least Sh7 billion to be competitive, the former Chief Justice remains undeterred.

Maraga’s campaign website, built by volunteers, is the main place where supporters can donate, sign up to help, and share their ideas.

The quick response according to observers points to something bigger, that Kenyans are showing that even small contributions can shape the country’s politics.

As the 2027 race heats up, the focus is not just on how much money Maraga can raise, but on whether his “Sh50-bob army” can keep the momentum and challenge a system long controlled by the wealthy.

However, his critics have dismissed the initiative, arguing that the amount raised so far is insignificant, pointing out that far larger sums have been collected for other causes in just a short time, even within minutes.