Kenya parliament debate controversial Bill restricting protests by citizens
A protester is arrested by police during Nane nane anti-government protests along Kimathi Street in Nairobi, Kenya on August 8, 2024. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
Kenyan MPs have started debating a controversial Bill that restricts citizens’ right to assembly in the wake of the recent wave of youth-led anti-government protests, which saw parliament overrun by protesters.
The Bill introduced in the House by Geoffrey Ruku, an MP belonging to President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition, gives the police sweeping powers to ban or break up demonstrations and picketing and imposes harsh fines or a jail term for offending demonstrators.
