Maraga Slams President Ruto, Suluhu Over Alleged Plan to Block Gen Z Protesters

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has sharply criticised remarks attributed to William Ruto and Samia Suluhu, alleging the two leaders are coordinating efforts to violently suppress Gen Z protesters in Kenya and Tanzania.

Maraga, who also leads the United Green Movement (UGM), said he was deeply disturbed by reports that the presidents discussed plans to “chapa mikwajo” Gen Z demonstrators during Ruto’s address to Tanzania’s National Assembly.

“These remarks are abhorrent,” he said.

He noted that the statements come at a particularly sensitive time, just days after President Suluhu received a report on the killings linked to Tanzania’s October 2025 general elections, where more than 518 people were reportedly shot dead without any perpetrators being brought to justice.

Maraga further cited the alleged torture of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire on Tanzanian soil, warning that those responsible remain unaccountable.

“We must not forget that our compatriot Boniface Mwangi, and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda, were tortured on Tanzanian soil. The perpetrators remain free,” he stated.

He warned that the growing cooperation between the two leaders poses a broader threat to democratic governance in East Africa, describing it as an emerging “axis of tyranny.”

“Citizens of East Africa must speak up. The axis of tyranny that Presidents Suluhu and Ruto are constructing threatens to return our region to autocracy,” Maraga said.

The former Chief Justice also pointed to his solidarity visit to Dar es Salaam on May 19, 2025—where he stood alongside Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu—as a demonstration of his commitment to defending democratic freedoms across the region.

“Our East African Jumuiya cannot advance while leaders suppress dissent and trample on the basic rights of our people,” he added.