A critique of police response to the right to peaceful assembly, demonstration, and picketing in light of the 2024 Finance Bill protests

Abstract

The events of June 2024 have brought to light a simmering dissent now emerging where it was once almost unheard of, among the ‘Gen Z’ youth. Kenyan youth have embraced their right to picket and peacefully assemble while seeking to dismantle the status quo. Yet, beneath this facade of a people’s sovereignty lies a troubling reality of state repression. This paper aims to critique the inappropriate use of police force especially by using live ammunition during protests and abducting and torturing demonstrators during the 2024 Finance Bill protests, particularly in relation to the implementation of Article 37 of the Constitution of Kenya. It also affirms the role of democracy in strengthening sovereignty and empowering a people in times of dissent.