IPRI condemns the violent assault against William Sipai, an elected Maasai community leader, who was attacked while peacefully protesting the installation of boundary markers on the disputed Kedong ancestral lands—a process the Maasai community argues advances the exclusion of Indigenous Peoples from territory over which their ancestral land claims remain unresolved.
For generations, thousands of Maasai pastoralists have fought for their right to return to Kedong after being dispossessed of their ancestral lands during the colonial era. Today, they continue defending their territory, culture, and traditional livelihoods against actions they say disregard those unresolved land claims.
Community members have consistently opposed the demarcation process and other actions linked to Kedong Limited, arguing that they seek to legitimize control over Maasai ancestral territory before justice has been achieved. Reports indicate that individuals allegedly aligned with the company’s interests assaulted William Sipai and others who attempted to protect him, leaving several people hospitalized.
This is not the first time William Sipai has faced violence and persecution for defending Maasai land rights. In 2021, he was arrested alongside other community members while defending the disputed territory.
In September 2025, he again stood at the forefront of community resistance when government surveyors, escorted by a large police contingent, attempted to install boundary markers on the contested land. He subsequently received threats because of his leadership.
We are also deeply alarmed by reports that William Sipai may face arbitrary detention in the coming hours.
Mr. Sipai is an Indigenous rights defender and one of the petitioners in the recent decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in the case of William Sipai and 13 other representatives of the Keekonyokie clan of the Maasai people v. Kenya, Communication No. 763/21 (published 18 July 2026). This decision makes clear that Kenya has violated various rights vested in the Maasai and has an obligation to remedy those violations. Instead, Mr. Sipai is being attacked and threatened with arbitrary detention.
We call for:
– An immediate end to all violence, threats, and intimidation against William Sipai and the Maasai community.
– Immediate protection measures for William Sipai and all Indigenous defenders at risk.
– Kenyan authorities to prevent any arbitrary detention, investigate these attacks, and fulfill their international obligations to protect Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Human Rights Defenders, and the collective rights of the Maasai to their lands and territories.
Defending Indigenous lands is not a crime.
