ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned by the unnecessary, disproportionate, and unjustified restrictions imposed on the right to protest in Kenya during the youth-led demonstrations on 25 June 2025 and Saba Saba day, 7 July. ARTICLE 19 urges the Government of Kenya to immediately reverse the escalating pattern of repression and reaffirm its commitment to upholding fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution and international human rights law.
‘The authorities’ heavy-handed response, marked by arbitrary arrests and the excessive use of force, including live ammunition against protesters, reflects a disturbing and deliberate pattern of suppressing dissent and silencing the freedom of expression,’ said Mugambi Kiai, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa Regional Director.
On 7 July 2025, Kenya marked Saba Saba Day, a historic commemoration of the 1990 pro-democracy protests that challenged authoritarian rule and laid the foundation for constitutional reform. The day was marked by widespread demonstrations across the country led by mostly young Kenyans popularly referred to as Gen Z, who took to the streets to protest against growing socio-economic injustices, poor governance, and shrinking civic space in the country.
While Saba Saba traditionally symbolises the struggle for democratic freedoms and civil liberties, the events of 7 July 2025 and the days running up to it highlighted a troubling reversal of these gains, as the state increasingly resorted to repressive tactics to stifle dissent and undermined the very principles the day was meant to uphold.
During the Saba Saba Day protests, Kenyan authorities erected police barricades at major roads and entry points into Nairobi, severely restricting the movement of people and paralysing normal city operations. The excessive and pre-emptive security measures not only disrupted livelihoods, preventing many from accessing workplaces and places of business, but also reflected a broader pattern of state repression aimed at deterring civic participation. These actions, coupled with other violations reported in the lead up to and during the demonstrations, underscore the shrinking space for peaceful assembly and the increasingly securitised response to free expression in Kenya.
In the lead up to the Saba Saba protests, ARTICLE 19 observed a disturbing escalation in state intimidation of human rights defenders. On Saturday, 5 July 2025, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), one of the country’s foremost human rights organisations, reported that one of its staff members was unlawfully deported to Uganda upon arrival in Kenya after an official visit to South Africa, despite holding a valid work permit. The following day, a group of unidentified individuals forcibly entered KHRC’s premises and violently disrupted a press conference organised by a group of Kenyan mothers. The event aimed to highlight and condemn the ongoing pattern of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings targeting protesters in the days leading up to the Saba Saba demonstrations. These incidents reflect an alarming attempt to silence critical voices and obstruct legitimate human rights advocacy through harassment and intimidation.
Background
On 25 June 2025, thousands of young people took to the streets to peacefully exercise their constitutional rights to assembly, expression, and protest, marking one year since the deadly anti-Finance Bill protests of 2024. However, instead of safeguarding these rights and ensuring an enabling environment for free expression, Kenyan authorities responded with a violent crackdown. According to multiple reports, including from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, authorities responded with arbitrary arrests, the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and in some cases live ammunition, resulting in at least eight deaths from gunshot wounds, hundreds of injuries, over 60 arrests, and the suppression of media coverage.
As media outlets provided live coverage of the nationwide protests, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) issued a directive ordering broadcasters to cease all live transmission of the demonstrations, citing alleged violations of Article 33(2) of the Kenyan Constitution.
In an alarming move, the CA subsequently deactivated the free-to-air signals of major television stations NTV, KTN, and K24, effectively taking them off air for continuing to cover the protests.
Although the High Court later ordered the immediate restoration of these signals following a petition by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and civil society organisations, and the CA lifted the ban the next day on 26 June, the directive marked a serious misinterpretation of constitutional provisions on freedom of expression and media freedom. It also blatantly disregards the November 2024 High Court ruling that declared that the CA’s previous interference with television programming was unconstitutional. This recent action not only undermines judicial authority but also sets a dangerous precedent for media censorship and the erosion of fundamental rights in Kenya.
Furthermore, earlier in June 2025, the death in police custody of Kenyan teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang triggered renewed nationwide outrage. Ojwang had been arrested following an alleged complaint lodged by Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat after the activist allegedly posted critical remarks online. His subsequent death while in police custody raised serious concerns about the misuse of state power to target dissenting voices and the broader climate of impunity within the Kenyan government. Public calls for justice culminated in sustained protests demanding Lagat’s dismissal. However, during the protests, another grave incident occurred: Boniface Kariuki, a street vendor, was shot and critically injured at close range by law enforcement officers. Video evidence of the incident circulated widely on social media, intensifying public condemnation and adding to the growing list of reported cases of police violence against Kenyans expressing themselves.
Reports from the #JusticeForAlbertOjwang protests in Nairobi’s central business district indicate that unidentified thugs riding motorbikes and wielding crude weapons assaulted peaceful protesters while appearing to operate in coordination with law enforcement, who simultaneously deployed tear gas to disperse crowds. This apparent collusion between violent individuals and authorities, coupled with the use of excessive and lethal force, indicates a deliberate strategy to suppress constitutionally-protected rights to peaceful assembly and expression. The incidents underscore a broader pattern of state-sanctioned repression and have further intensified public outrage, particularly among young people, who have consistently resisted high-handed government crackdowns on critics since the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
The recent events, including the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators, arbitrary arrests, coordinated attacks by unidentified armed groups, media censorship, and the criminalisation of dissent, constitute serious violations of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and access to information. These developments are not isolated but reflect a broader strategy to suppress civic space and silence critical voices, particularly among young people. ARTICLE 19 urges the government to reverse the escalating pattern of repression and uphold fundamental rights enshrined in Kenya’s constitution.
Through its #FreeToProtest campaign, ARTICLE 19 continues to advocate for a rights-based approach to public order management, one grounded in accountability, proportionality, and the duty of the state to facilitate, rather than obstruct, peaceful assembly. We call on Kenyan authorities to end the use of excessive force, ensure independent investigations into all reported abuses, and guarantee that all individuals can safely and freely exercise their democratic rights without fear of violence, censorship, or reprisal.