This archive report was first published on 9 September 2019.
On August 23, 2019, a group of women, led by Mercy Wangui, protested at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, disrupting a judges' meeting.
The protest was planned by Mercy Wangui and Joseph Waragha, a newspaper vendor, who mobilized the women with the help of Mama Wangari.
The women were promised Sh500 each to participate in the protest, which was to take place at the resort, where Chief Justice David Maraga was set to meet with more than 150 judges for the closing ceremony of their annual colloquium.
Investigations revealed that the women had zero inkling as to the issues behind their protest, only being assured that they would be briefed the next day and execute it through a flash protest.
Media coverage was also arranged, with a female TV journalist promised Sh60,000 to covertly reach out to her colleagues to provide coverage and possibly livestream it.
On the day of the protest, journalists arrived early, despite communication from the Judiciary that the judges' meeting would be an indoor session with no slot for coverage.
The protest, which lasted for about 10 minutes, saw more than 100 placard-waving women lay siege to the hotel with a huge banner screaming in bold typeface: “Weka Warsame; Toa Maraga na Wakora. Wamama na Amadi, Wakora kwa Mwilu (Give us Warsame. Eject Maraga and other crooks. Women stand with Amadi, crooks with Mwilu).”
During the protest, only two people were allowed to speak to the media — Mama Wangari and Mr Waragha — who declined to reveal their names, stating their grievances.
They accused the Judiciary of protecting drug barons and abetting graft, and blamed the Judicial Service Commission for undermining reforms and institutionalising corruption.
As police arrived, the protesters dispersed, and the boda-boda chairman was given Sh30,000 to pay his team, but some of the protesters are yet to be paid.
