In a dramatic escalation of public pushback against state infrastructure plans, former Chief Justice and current presidential aspirant David Maraga was arrested by law enforcement on Monday morning while leading a demonstration against the allocation of 76 acres of the Nairobi National Park.
The retired head of the judiciary had joined environmental activists in blocking a section of Lang’ata Road, near the Bomas of Kenya, to protest the state’s plan to utilize the parkland for commercial construction and relocate the historic Nairobi Animal Orphanage. Plain-clothed police officers intervened during the demonstration, rounding up and apprehending Maraga alongside several other protestors.
Activists Cry Foul Over Secretive 76-Acre Carve-Out
The dispute centers on a directive from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to clear 76 acres of the protected wildlife reserve to facilitate the ongoing Ksh41.9 billion Bomas of Kenya expansion project. The project also mandates moving the 62-year-old animal orphanage from its foundational grounds.
Speaking to Citizen TV from the demo site, prominent social justice activist Njeri Mwangi confirmed that Maraga and eight other demonstrators were packed into police vehicles and driven to the Lang’ata Police Station.
“We know they plan to use 76 acres to build a parking space and it should not happen because it did not have any public participation. We came here to stop the action. This is the only park in the capital city and we are against it,” Mwangi asserted. “Nine people have been arrested and we do not know their offence.”
Maraga Refuses to Leave Jail Without Fellow Protestors
Following standard processing at the Lang’ata precinct, police authorities offered the former Chief Justice an immediate release. However, in a display of solidarity, Maraga flatly refused to leave the police station, demanding that all eight detained youth and environmental activists be freed unconditionally alongside him before he steps out.
The high-profile arrests occur against a backdrop of intensifying legal and legislative scrutiny surrounding the multi-billion-shilling project, officially dubbed the Bomas International Convention Complex (BICC).
Parliament Scrutinizes Ksh42 Billion Flagship Project
The BICC project, a flagship initiative championed by the Kenya Kwanza administration to establish a premier regional hub for international meetings, conferences, and exhibitions, has faced steep opposition within the corridors of parliament.
Members of the National Assembly’s Tourism and Wildlife Committee recently summoned project coordinators, questioning the exorbitant Ksh42 billion price tag. Lawmakers have termed the budget heavily inflated and disproportionate when contrasted against the construction costs of similar world-class convention facilities within the East African region.
With a former Chief Justice now joining the frontline of the resistance, the multi-billion-shilling convention center faces a combined bottleneck of parliamentary budget queries and high-stakes civil litigation over environmental conservation laws.