Ruto: Gen Z protests were a call to be heard, not an assault on democracy
President William Ruto defended the right to peaceful protest in Kenya, distinguishing it from the violence seen during the 2024 Gen Z-led demonstrations. He emphasized that while citizens have a right to be heard, constitutional freedoms do not permit the destruction of property.
Why it matters
This statement reflects the ongoing tension between government authority and civil unrest in Kenya, highlighting the challenges of balancing democratic expression with public order.
President William Ruto s peaking at the 16th Katiba Day Symposium at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on August 27, 2026/PCS
President William Ruto has defended the right of Kenyans to protest, saying peaceful demonstrations and dissent are essential to democracy, while warning that constitutional freedoms do not extend to violence, looting or destruction of property.
Speaking at the 16th Katiba Day Symposium at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on August 27, 2026, Ruto reflected on the Gen Z-led protests of 2024 and the constitutional questions they raised about the balance between citizens’ rights and the State’s duty to maintain order.
“During the protests of 2024 and those that followed, young Kenyans and other citizens exercised their constitutional freedoms to speak, assemble, demonstrate, picket and petition public authorities,” Ruto said.
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