NAIROBI, Kenya — A high-stakes environmental demonstration in Kenya’s capital has drawn international attention after former Chief Justice David Maraga was taken into custody on Monday during a protest against controversial planned construction inside Nairobi National Park. Maraga, who joined dozens of fellow activists in a peaceful sit-in demonstration along a busy arterial road just outside the park’s main entrance, was detained temporarily before being released shortly afterward. On the day of his arrest, he posted a statement on social media platform X confirming he was detained while en route to submit a formal petition to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the government agency charged with managing the country’s protected natural areas.
Dressed in a green protest t-shirt matching those worn by other demonstrators, Maraga emphasized in his post-protest remarks that Kenya’s irreplaceable national heritage and wild ecosystems demand robust protection from unaccountable development motivated by private greed. He condemned the proposed project for moving forward without meaningful public input, a common grievance among activists challenging land use changes in protected spaces across the country.
Hundreds of activists converged on the protest site to oppose two linked initiatives: the planned construction within the boundaries of Nairobi National Park and the proposed relocation of an on-site orphanage. Protesters argue the entire initiative is a covert effort to seize public land for private gain, a longstanding contentious issue in Kenya that has repeatedly sparked pushback from environmental and community advocates. For decades, environmental organizers have spoken out against incremental encroachment on national parks, urban green spaces, and other protected public lands, warning that unsustainable development erodes both Kenya’s natural heritage and public access to critical green infrastructure.
Amnesty International’s Kenya branch quickly issued a statement of solidarity with the demonstrators, backing their demands for transparent public participation in all decisions that impact the country’s environmental heritage. The human rights organization stressed that Nairobi National Park, one of Kenya’s most iconic urban protected areas, is not a commodity to be developed for private profit. “Our public spaces, our environment, and our rights cannot be traded away behind closed doors,” the group’s statement read.
In a preemptive response released one day before the protest, the KWS pushed back against allegations of land grabbing, framing the proposed construction as a beneficial public project. The agency explained the work is part of an official plan to expand the existing orphanage within the park and upgrade visitor facilities to improve the overall experience for tourists and local visitors. As of Tuesday, law enforcement authorities have not issued any public statement explaining the rationale for Maraga’s arrest, leaving lingering questions about the treatment of peaceful environmental activists in the country.