BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Former Kenya Chief Justice David Maraga will bring his campaign for the country’s presidency to Minnesota this week, becoming the latest contender in Kenya’s 2027 election to court the state’s large and politically active Kenyan diaspora.
Maraga, who served as Kenya’s chief justice and president of the Supreme Court from 2016 to 2021, is scheduled to visit Minnesota through Sunday for a series of meetings with community leaders, youth, professionals and members of the Kenyan diaspora. His visit will culminate Saturday with a public town hall at Zanewood Recreation Center in Brooklyn Park.
The town hall is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. at Zanewood, 7100 Zane Ave. N. Organizers say Maraga will deliver a 30-minute address followed by a 75-minute question-and-answer session with members of the community. A Kenyan cultural reception featuring music, food and networking is scheduled to follow.
The visit puts Minnesota once again on the map for Kenyan politicians seeking support among the diaspora ahead of next year’s election.
Former Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i visited Minnesota in August 2025, drawing more than 1,000 people to the Ames Center in Burnsville after holding fundraising events in Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove. Minnesota is one of the largest population centers for Kenyans in the United States, with the Minneapolis-St. Paul area identified by diaspora researchers and advocates as one of the country’s major Kenyan hubs.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is also currently touring the United States, with stops scheduled in cities with sizable Kenyan communities as part of his own diaspora outreach. Gachagua departed Kenya in late August for a U.S. trip that includes stops in Washington state, Oregon, Kansas, Texas and Massachusetts.
The diaspora has become an increasingly important constituency for Kenyan presidential hopefuls. Beyond the money Kenyans abroad send home, diaspora communities can provide campaign financing and wield considerable influence among relatives and communities in Kenya. During his Minnesota visit last year, Matiang’i called for substantially expanding the number of U.S. polling locations available to Kenyan citizens.
The campaigning abroad comes as opposition leaders continue discussions about presenting a single candidate against President William Ruto in the August 2027 election.
Opposition leaders have publicly committed themselves to eventually rallying behind one presidential candidate, although they have yet to agree on who that candidate will be or exactly how the choice will be made. Gachagua said before departing for his current U.S. tour that the opposition expects to settle on a candidate by April.
Maraga has separately said he supports opposition unity, arguing in a June campaign address that it should be based on shared values. His campaign identifies constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency, accountability and inclusive development among its priorities.
Maraga, Kenya’s 14th chief justice, spent nearly two decades on the bench, serving as a High Court judge and Court of Appeal judge before becoming chief justice in 2016. He retired in January 2021.
His tenure included one of the most consequential decisions in Kenya’s political history. In 2017, the Supreme Court under Maraga became the first court in Africa to nullify the election of a sitting president when it overturned President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election and ordered a new presidential vote.
Maraga has since entered electoral politics and is campaigning for the presidency under the slogan “Reset. Restore. Rebuild.” His campaign describes justice and the rule of law, transparency and accountability, and inclusive development as central elements of his platform.
Before Saturday’s town hall, Maraga’s Minnesota schedule includes meetings with community and institutional leaders, a private fundraising dinner Thursday and a youth and emerging leaders roundtable Friday. Organizers have also scheduled an inclusive diaspora leadership reception Friday evening.
Saturday’s activities are scheduled to begin with fellowship and cultural exchange at KCC Church from 10 a.m. to noon before the afternoon town hall in Brooklyn Park.
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