Kenyan police arrested several protesters in Nairobi on Tuesday as the country marked the 36th anniversary of the Saba Saba pro-democracy protests, amid heightened tensions between authorities and activists planning nationwide demonstrations.
Security forces were deployed across the capital, with heavy police presence around key government installations and major roads leading to the central business district. Witnesses reported that plainclothes officers arrested demonstrators along Harambee Avenue, with additional arrests taking place on Wabera Street.
Police said the demonstrations were unlawful, arguing that organizers had failed to provide the required notification under Kenya’s Public Order Act. Protest organizers rejected the claim, maintaining that the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and insisting that the planned march to Parliament would proceed.
The demonstrations coincide with the annual Saba Saba (“Seven Seven”) commemoration, held every July 7 to remember the 1990 protests that became a turning point in Kenya’s struggle for multi-party democracy after years of one-party rule.
This year’s protests have expanded beyond the historical commemoration to include growing public frustration over the high cost of living, youth unemployment, corruption, and demands for greater government accountability. They also come amid renewed calls for justice for victims of anti-government demonstrations held in 2024.
Authorities have urged the public to remain peaceful, warning that acts of violence, destruction of property, or other criminal activities will not be tolerated. Human rights organizations, meanwhile, have called on security forces to exercise restraint and respect citizens’ constitutional rights during the demonstrations.
The unfolding standoff is being closely watched as another test of Kenya’s democratic institutions, balancing the right to peaceful protest with the government’s responsibility to maintain public order.
