Kenyan police blocked a planned Saba Saba Day march in Nairobi on Tuesday, detaining protesters and sealing off the capital as President William Ruto’s government intensified its crackdown on dissent amid lingering anger over police violence, economic hardship and shrinking civic freedoms.
Kenyan police prevented a planned Saba Saba Day procession from taking place in Nairobi, deploying checkpoints, plainclothes officers and unmarked vehicles to stop demonstrators from gathering.
The Economic Justice Movement had announced a peaceful march to commemorate July 7, 1990, when Kenyans took to the streets to demand multi-party democracy.
Police said they had not received formal notification of the event and declared any procession illegal.
Fewer than 10 protesters managed to gather in the city centre before officers swiftly moved in.
AFP journalists saw at least three people bundled into an unmarked vehicle and a police wagon as they attempted to address the crowd.
“Why should they deploy security like this? We have a right to protest,” protester Collins Otieno told AFP.
Historic day becomes rallying point
Known as Saba Saba, meaning “seven seven” in Swahili, July 7 has long symbolised Kenya’s struggle for democratic reforms.
In recent years, however, the anniversary has become a focal point for broader protests over corruption, rising living costs and alleged police brutality under President William Ruto.
The government has adopted an increasingly hard-line response to demonstrations following the deadly anti-government protests that erupted in 2024.
Organisers highlight rights abuses
The Economic Justice Movement said the march was intended to spotlight alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and police brutality, while also drawing attention to the country’s worsening economic crisis and declining opportunities for young people.
The group argued that these issues remain unresolved despite repeated calls for accountability and reform.
Fear keeps crowds away
The heavy security operation was not the only factor limiting attendance. Many Kenyans have become reluctant to join demonstrations after repeated episodes of deadly violence.
According to figures from Kenya’s police watchdog, at least 127 people were killed during protest periods in June and July of 2024 and again in 2025.
“There’s a general sense of exhaustion,” Wanjira Wanjiru of the Mathare Social Justice Centre told AFP, reflecting growing public fear following months of unrest.
Media freedoms under scrutiny
The government’s increasingly combative approach has also raised concerns about press freedom.
Ruto recently criticised The Standard newspaper over its coverage of his administration.
On Monday, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called for an investigation after reporting that a senior The Standard journalist narrowly escaped an attempted abduction by armed men just three days after the president’s criticism of the newspaper.
The latest crackdown is likely to deepen concerns among rights groups that Kenya’s democratic space is narrowing as authorities take an increasingly uncompromising stance against both protesters and critical media.