Former Chief Justice David Maraga on Tuesday April 29, 2025, sharply criticized the government over the fatal police shooting of six civilians during a land protest in Ang’ata Barrikoi, Kilgoris, in Narok County, warning that the increasing use of force by security agencies risks eroding public trust in state institutions and undermining constitutional order.
In a strongly worded statement posted on X, the retired jurist, widely respected for his fierce defence of judicial independence, described the killings as a flagrant violation of the Constitution and demanded immediate accountability.
“The killing and violence against civilians by security forces that we have witnessed in Kilgoris Constituency is yet again another flagrant violation of the Constitution. Reports that security forces opened fire on residents protecting their land, leaving several dead and others injured, are disheartening,” Maraga wrote.
“I send my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured. The continued use of violence against citizens undermines confidence in the security forces and puts into question the legitimacy of the government, ” he added.
The former Chief Justice further called on the government to quickly probe the killings and action be taken against those found culpable.
“It is important that a speedy independent investigation is undertaken and those responsible for these actions are held to account in line with the Constitution. I call for calm as well as a peaceful and just resolution of the land dispute in accordance with the law,” Maraga stated.
The Monday, April 28, 2025, incident claimed the lives of six individuals, among them a local teacher, after a protest over the demarcation of a disputed 6,000-acre tract of land spiralled into chaos.
Residents took to the streets in opposition to a government land exercise they claimed would dispossess them.
Tensions escalated when police attempted to disperse the demonstrators, prompting an eruption of violence.
According to local accounts, enraged residents set fire to several vehicles used by government officials during the aborted land adjudication effort.
Moments later, security forces opened fire.
Several civilians were shot, some fatally, igniting outrage and a renewed national debate over state-sanctioned violence, particularly in regions long plagued by historical land injustices.
Helicopter stand-off
On Tuesday, as the situation remained volatile, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Ibrahim Amin landed at Ang’ata Boys High School aboard a police helicopter to assess the scene.
Yet their arrival was met with palpable hostility.
Sources on the ground confirmed the two top security officials remained inside their helicopter for over an hour, unwilling to disembark due to an agitated crowd that had earlier chased away elite General Service Unit (GSU) officers deployed to the area.
The residents demanded the presence of Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno, whom they said was the only leader they trusted to mediate the conflict.
Police scrambled to fly in Ngeno aboard a separate helicopter.
The local lawmaker was eventually joined by former Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto and Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot in a hastily arranged peace meeting, which the security chiefs later attended after emerging from their aircraft.
Demands for accountability
Maraga’s intervention adds to growing calls from civil society groups, opposition politicians, and clergy for an independent inquiry into the killings.
Kenya’s Constitution provides strong protections for the right to protest and prohibits the use of excessive force by police under Articles 37 and 244, respectively.
The killings in Kilgoris follow the outpouring of public anger caused by a BBC exposé that unmasked security officers who shot and killed protesters outside Parliament on June 25, 2024, during anti-Finance Bill demos.
For many in Kilgoris, the grief is compounded by the unresolved historical trauma of land evictions and marginalisation – patterns they say persist through modern bureaucracy and are now enforced through deadly force.
As the victims’ families prepare for burial, the residents of Narok County wait anxiously for answers and justice.
Martin Oduor
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