Former Chief Justice David Maraga has claimed that the recent spike in terrorism charges against protesters is a scheme by the government to intimidate and control young people.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 16, Maraga claimed that the serious nature of the charges ensured that none of the accused would receive bail until their cases conclude, sometimes taking years.
In fact, he claimed that by the time these cases concluded, the courts would not be able to prove the charges, but they would have endured a prolonged stay in police custody
Noting that most of these suspects were younger than 25, Maraga claimed that these charges clearly demonstrated the government's desperation to control the youth.Kalonzo Musyoka.
“Most of these young people are under the age of 25. 18-year-old young people are being charged with terrorism in circumstances that, when you consider, you can't see any terrorist act which can be proven," he said.
"What is being done is just to create terror for the young people, their families and control, but this is not going to be allowed. A terrorist offence is a very serious offence, and the reason they are being charged with is so that they are denied bond, so that they are traumatised and kept in custody."
Maraga's comments came moments after eight more suspects were charged with terrorism at the Kahawa Law Courts.
The eight had been arrested on suspicion of torching the Mawego Police Station in Homa Bay while protesting the death of Albert Ojwang.
They had been under custodial orders issued by the Oyugis Law Court before being re-arrested on July 14, 2025, following the closure of a miscellaneous application and afterwards transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) headquarters in Nairobi for further processing.
This is just the latest group to be charged with terrorism since the June protests, with the prosecution claiming that some of the actions of these acts amounted to terrorism.
Just a week ago, 37 individuals were slapped with terrorism charges at the same court over chaos that left Kikuyu Probation Offices, Kikuyu Law Courts, Kikuyu Sub-County Offices, Kikuyu Chief’s Office, the Office of the Registrar of Persons, Kikuyu Sub-County Education Office, the Sub-County Accountant’s Office, Registrar of Lands Office, Dagoretti Police Post and the Kikuyu Deputy County Commissioner’s Office damaged.
They were arraigned alongside two other individuals, popular Gachagua allies, Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiru, alias Kawanjiru, and Serah Wanjiku Thiga. By
