NAIROBI, Kenya- Thirty-six years after the historic Saba Saba protests helped pave the way for Kenya’s return to multiparty democracy, the annual commemoration once again finds itself at the centre of a tense contest between the constitutional right to protest and the state’s obligation to maintain public order.
On the eve of this year’s commemoration, the National Police Service (NPS) announced enhanced checkpoints on major roads into and across Nairobi, signalling a more robust security deployment than usual as authorities prepare for planned demonstrations on Tuesday.
Police said the measures were informed by previous Saba Saba commemorations, during which demonstrations disrupted businesses and public movement.
“As a security measure, there will be enhanced police checkpoints on various roads within Nairobi city… to control both human and vehicular movement,” the NPS said in a statement.
The service urged the public to cooperate with officers and warned that unlawful acts would be met “with the full force of the law.”
Echoes of June 25
The announcement comes less than two weeks after security agencies erected extensive roadblocks and barricades on key roads leading into Nairobi’s Central Business District during the June 25 Gen Z memorial protests.
The closures significantly restricted movement into the city, with commuters forced to walk long distances after vehicles were turned away. Human rights organisations and lawyers criticised the operation, arguing that blanket restrictions interfered with constitutional freedoms of movement and peaceful assembly, while the government defended the measures as necessary to maintain public order.
That experience has heightened public attention to this year’s Saba Saba security arrangements, with many Nairobi residents anticipating traffic disruptions and possible restrictions around the city centre.
A Day Rooted in Kenya’s Democratic Struggle
Saba Saba—literally “Seven Seven” in Swahili—commemorates the July 7, 1990 protests, when Kenyans demanded the restoration of multiparty democracy during the administration of former President Daniel arap Moi.
The demonstrations, called despite the arrest of opposition leaders including Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia, marked a turning point in Kenya’s second liberation movement and eventually contributed to the repeal of Section 2A of the Constitution, which had entrenched one-party rule.
Over the years, the anniversary has evolved from a historical remembrance into an annual platform for citizens, civil society organisations and opposition groups to press demands on governance, accountability, economic reforms and human rights.
Conflicting Positions
This year’s commemorations have also exposed conflicting accounts between police and protest organisers.
Earlier on Monday, Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud said authorities had not received formal notification of any demonstrations and warned that unnotified gatherings would be treated as unlawful.
Some organisers, however, insist they submitted the required notification letters, arguing that under Article 37 of the Constitution and judicial decisions interpreting the Public Order Act, notification is intended to facilitate policing rather than seek permission to demonstrate.
With memories of the June 25 protests still fresh and heightened political tensions across the country, Tuesday’s Saba Saba commemoration is expected to test once again the balance between public security and the constitutional freedoms of assembly, expression and movement.