Former Chief Justice David Maraga Arrested at Nairobi National Park Protest

Former Chief Justice David Maraga was arrested on Monday morning outside Nairobi National Park, minutes after launching a protest against proposed infrastructure construction within the park.

Eyewitness accounts indicate Maraga was with members of his campaign team near the park’s main gate when police officers moved in to disperse the gathering. He was later placed in a police vehicle and driven away from the scene. The protest was organised to oppose plans to fence and build new structures inside the park, which conservation groups argue would block wildlife corridors critical for elephants and other animals.

Maraga, who served as Chief Justice from 2016 to 2021, has been leading public campaigns in recent weeks to stop excisions and new developments in Nairobi National Park. The park, located 7km from Nairobi’s central business district, is the only wildlife reserve in the world with a city skyline. It previously lost over 2,000 acres to the Standard Gauge Railway project in 2017.

Organisers described Monday’s procession as peaceful. Police intervened shortly after it began. As of 12:30 pm, authorities had not released an official statement detailing the charges or legal basis for the arrest.

The arrest occurred on the same day the High Court delivered its long-awaited ruling on petitions challenging the October 2024 impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Both events have drawn significant public and media attention in Nairobi.

Conservationists have warned that further fencing and construction within the park could sever migration routes linking Nairobi National Park to the wider Athi-Kapiti ecosystem. Government officials have previously cited infrastructure needs and land use planning as reasons for proposed developments.
The development adds pressure on Parliament and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, which are already facing petitions and public submissions over the park’s boundaries. With both the Gachagua impeachment ruling and the park protest dominating headlines, the courts and security agencies face renewed scrutiny over how they balance public assembly, conservation, and state authority.

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