Maasai land rights defenders Robinson Nalengoyo Ole Torome and Raphael Kerenke were arrested on 26 June and 12 October 2020, respectively. The criminalisation revolves around the defenders' dissent towards Kedong Ranch Ltd.’s continued use of their ancestral lands reportedly without their free, prior, and informed and consent. Kedong Ranch includes several development projects, such as the geothermal plants known as Olkaria IV and V, a 1,000-acre dry port, and allocation of 1,000-acre each to Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan for the development of dry ports, that are being implemented allegedly without any meaningful consultation with the Maasai.

Later, on 21 January 2021, Maasai leaders Tima Kuronoi, Kingiri Kuronoi, and Oropi Kuronoi were also arrested and charged with assault while trying to stop the employees of Kedong Ranch Ltd. from their ongoing activity of digging trench around their ancestral lands.