Maraga links rising Nairobi insecurity to protest goons
By Kiprono Keileb, September 7, 2025Former Chief Justice and presidential hopeful David Maraga has sounded the alarm over the growing insecurity in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), linking it directly to armed militias that were previously mobilised during protests but later abandoned.
In a statement posted on his X account on Sunday, September 7, 2025, Maraga said the rising wave of crime cannot be separated from the activities of idle groups that were once used to harass demonstrators but have now turned to unlawful means to survive.
“Since the June protests, I have warned against the use of armed militias working alongside security forces to harass protestors,” Maraga wrote. He explained that these groups, once empowered and emboldened, have become a menace in the city after financial incentives dried up.
“I’m informed that the idle militias who operated with impunity, now with no more handouts, are the ones creating the rising insecurity in Nairobi CBD,” he added.
Maraga said the situation was a predictable outcome of short-sighted decisions that empowered non-state actors without considering how to disengage them once their role ended.
The cost of quick fixes
The former CJ emphasised that dismantling such groups is far harder than creating them.
“The consequences are clear. Creating militias might be easier, but demobilising them requires much more,” he warned.
His remarks come at a time when traders, commuters, and residents in Nairobi have raised concerns about increasing cases of mugging, theft, and gang-related violence in the city. The fears have been amplified by reports of organised groups roaming parts of the CBD and targeting vulnerable Kenyans, particularly in the evenings.
A call for economic alternatives
Maraga urged leaders to rethink their approach and invest in meaningful alternatives that steer the youth away from criminal activity. He said Kenya must prioritise opportunities that give dignity and purpose rather than sustaining cycles of violence.
“We will, on our part, endeavour to create economic opportunities and engender utu, not militias, in our midst,” he said, stressing the need for humanity and justice at the core of governance.
His statement adds to the growing debate on how political patronage and handouts often fuel insecurity, with communities left to bear the consequences long after the political battles end.