Retired Chief Justice David Maraga has claimed that his official police security was withdrawn shortly after he participated in the June 25 protests in Nairobi. Maraga said the move was suspiciously timed and appeared to be retaliation for his public support of the demonstrators.
Maraga, who marched peacefully with youth and families of those killed or disappeared during previous protests, was teargassed along Kimathi Street, despite being a former head of Kenya’s judiciary. Earlier, he had addressed crowds outside Nation Centre, urging demonstrators to remain peaceful and orderly.
“We must protect our democracy. Peaceful protest is a constitutional right,” Maraga said during the march.
According to Maraga, his security detail of police officers—which he has had since retiring on January 12, 2021—was quietly withdrawn the very next day.
“One officer was instructed to update a firearm register and told he was needed for training. The next day, I was informed that all officers had been recalled to their stations,” he told reporters.
Maraga further noted that as a retired Chief Justice, he is legally entitled to police protection and official drivers under Section 5A of the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Act, Cap. 197B (Revised 2022).
This incident comes amid growing government hostility toward public dissent, with Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen recently labeling the June 25 demonstrations as “acts of terrorism” and urging police to use force when necessary .
