NAIROBI, Kenya, July 6 — A group of Kenyan mothers will on Sunday address the nation at the Kenya Human Rights Commission offices in Nairobi, ahead of the Saba Saba protests set for Monday.
Their message is a cry for justice — a demand to end arbitrary arrests, abductions, torture, and extrajudicial executions — according to the Social Justice Centres Working Group.
The mothers are expected to offer a plea to the government to stop using violence against its citizens, particularly the youth who have been at the forefront of recent demonstrations.
This comes as the country braces for another round of nationwide protests planned for July 7, a symbolic day in Kenya’s democratic history.
The protests, largely driven by Gen Z and grassroots movements, are a response to what many see as a return to authoritarianism.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has also raised alarm over increased repression, calling on the State to uphold constitutional freedoms.
“Ahead of the Saba Saba demonstrations on Monday, we demand that the State respect the right to protest,” the commission said in a statement posted on X.
President William Ruto’s administration is increasingly being accused of employing Moi-era tactics to stifle dissent — including the deployment of undercover officers, the use of armed goons, and the criminalization of protestors.
In a chilling statement last week, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohammed Amin said that in addition to looting and arson, some protestors were also subjected to sexual assault — a claim that has drawn outrage and raised concerns over the conduct of security forces and other actors during the protests.
While the government has pointed fingers at the opposition for allegedly financing the demonstrations, it has remained silent on evidence linking pro-government politicians to organized counter-protests, including the hiring of armed youth to disrupt peaceful assemblies.
As tension builds, some business owners have begun reinforcing their premises. In Nairobi’s busy OTC area, shopkeepers were seen over the weekend welding metal sheets and securing entrances, wary of the potential destruction.
Many of the protestors, however, are typically youthful, peaceful, and often only armed with mobile phones and Kenyan flags — symbolic tools of a generation demanding accountability and change.
The Saba Saba protest movement — historically associated with Kenya’s fight for multiparty democracy — has found a new home in the hands of a digitally savvy, socially conscious generation.
Their cry, echoed by mothers and human rights defenders alike, is clear: stop the violence and uphold the Constitution.
