Editor's Review

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has been arrested while protesting outside the Nairobi National Park along Lang’ata Road.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has been arrested outside the Nairobi National Park along Lang’ata Road. 

Maraga was apprehended by police officers on Monday, June 8, alongside several other individuals while protesting against the construction of a parking lot inside the Nairobi National Park. 

In a video seen by Nairobileo.co.ke, police officers in plain clothes surrounded Maraga and the other protesters before bundling them into a police lorry. 

In a post on Sunday, June 7, Maraga announced he would lead a peaceful procession to the Nairobi National Park in protest against the construction of the parking lot. 

“Join us tomorrow as we march to protect Nairobi National Park from this thieving regime. Let’s restore Nairobi as the green City,” Maraga wrote. 

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Screengrab image of David Maraga being arrested outside the Nairobi National Park. 

Maraga’s arrest comes months after the Green Belt Movement (GBM) raised concerns over a plan to set up a parking lot for the Bomas International Convention Centre (BICC) at the Nairobi National Park. 

In a statement, the movement claimed that 100 acres of land was being cleared to pave the way for the construction of the parking lot. 

GBM argued that the plan endangered species, resulting in biodiversity loss and ecological imbalance of a sensitive ecosystem. 

“This is not merely a development decision. It is an existential threat to one of Kenya’s most iconic ecological treasures. Nairobi National Park is a living symbol of Kenya’s natural heritage, a globally unique protected area bordering a capital city and a critical refuge for biodiversity. 

“To destroy a protected upland forest in order to create access roads and a large parking area fundamentally contradicts the very purpose of conservation,” read part of the statement. 

The movement demanded the immediate suspension of all clearing and construction within Nairobi National Park and full public disclosure of the Environmental Impact Assessment and approvals. 

GBM also demanded that the government explore alternative sites outside protected areas.