Former Chief Justice David Maraga has revealed the intense pressure he endured after the Supreme Court nullified the 2017 presidential election, marking a historic moment in Kenya’s judicial and political landscape.

In an interview aired today on Spice Fm, Maraga disclosed that the judiciary suffered budget cuts soon after the landmark ruling, which invalidated President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win due to electoral irregularities. He described the period as one of the most challenging of his tenure.

“I faced tremendous pressure following the 2017 judgement. People questioned my decisions, but I had to act in line with the Constitution. Soon after, funding to the Judiciary was slashed,” said Maraga.

The annulment, backed by four out of six Supreme Court judges, cited major flaws in the electoral process, particularly in the transmission of results. The ruling led to a repeat election within 60 days.

While Raila Odinga, then the opposition leader, denounced the IEBC as compromised, President Kenyatta accepted the ruling but criticized the judges, calling them “crooks.”

Maraga also defended his 2020 recommendation to dissolve Parliament over its failure to enact the two-thirds gender rule. He said he acted constitutionally after receiving multiple petitions from the public.

“The Constitution gave Parliament five years to pass the gender law, and when it didn’t, I received eight petitions and recommended dissolution, as required,” he explained