NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has defended the right of Kenyans to protest, saying peaceful demonstrations and dissent are essential to democracy while warning that constitutional freedoms do not extend to violence, looting or destruction of property.
Speaking during the 16th Katiba Day Symposium at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Thursday, August 27, 2026, Ruto reflected on the Gen Z-led protests of 2024 and the constitutional questions they raised about citizens’ rights and the State’s responsibility to maintain public order.
The President said the demonstrations were an expression of frustration by young Kenyans and other citizens who wanted greater accountability, better governance and a meaningful role in shaping the country’s future.
“Their message was clear: they wanted to be heard,” Ruto said.
Ruto defends right to protest
Ruto said the protests should not be viewed as an attack on Kenya’s democratic system, arguing that peaceful criticism and dissent are fundamental to the Constitution.
“Those demands were not an assault on democracy. Peaceful protest, criticism, and dissent are essential to democracy,” he said.
The 2024 demonstrations began in June after the government introduced the Finance Bill, which proposed new taxes affecting a range of goods and services. The protests were largely driven by young Kenyans who used social media platforms to organise demonstrations across the country.
The unrest escalated after Parliament passed the Bill on June 25, 2024, when protesters breached Parliament. The movement subsequently expanded beyond opposition to the Finance Bill to include broader demands for accountability and an end to police brutality.
Ruto eventually withdrew the legislation amid mounting public pressure.
Article 37 protects peaceful demonstrations
At the Katiba Day event, Ruto cited Article 37 of the Constitution, which protects the right of every person, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions to public authorities.
“That protection must be real,” he said.
The President said no Kenyan should lose their life, liberty or dignity simply for criticising the government, expressing an unpopular opinion or participating in a peaceful demonstration.
He also acknowledged the suffering associated with the protests, noting that some families lost loved ones and that serious allegations had been raised over unlawful arrests, enforced disappearances and excessive use of lethal force.
“We cannot honour the Constitution by looking away from such allegations,” Ruto said.
He called for credible allegations of human-rights violations to be independently, thoroughly and transparently investigated, with those found responsible held accountable under the law.
Ruto draws line between protest and criminality
While defending the right to peaceful demonstrations, Ruto said constitutional protections could not be used to justify criminal conduct.
“The Constitution protects peaceful and unarmed assembly. It does not protect arson, looting, lawlessness, violence, intimidation, attacks on citizens or the destruction of public and private property,” he said.
He urged Kenyans to distinguish between citizens exercising their constitutional rights and individuals who commit criminal offences during demonstrations.
“We must neither criminalise an entire protest because of the actions of a few nor legitimise criminal conduct merely because it occurs in the course of a protest,” he said.
According to the President, the right to protest comes with a responsibility to remain peaceful and unarmed, while the government has an obligation to listen to citizens and protect their constitutional freedoms.
“The right to protest carries a responsibility to remain peaceful and unarmed,” he said.
Government urged to listen to citizens
The President said Kenya’s democratic institutions ultimately derive their authority from the people and should remain responsive to citizens.
“Government belongs to the people. Parliament belongs to the people. The courts belong to the people. The institutions of the Republic belong to the people,” he said.
He argued that Kenya should not be forced to choose between individual freedoms and public order, but should instead pursue an approach that protects both.
“Our national task is, therefore, not to choose between liberty and order. It is to build an order founded on liberty and to exercise liberty in a manner that preserves the constitutional order,” Ruto said.
