Katiba Institute Sues Over Police Barricades in Nairobi CBD

Katiba Institute has filed a constitutional petition at the High Court in Nairobi, accusing the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney-General of violating Kenyans’ rights to peaceful assembly and movement. The suit arises from police barricades that restricted access to Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) on June 25, 2025.

In its petition, the Institute challenges the legality of using barbed wire and police roadblocks without prior notice to seal off major roads in the CBD during the nationwide protests commemorating the first anniversary of the June 2024 demonstrations.

According to Katiba Institute, the police action was a deliberate attempt to suppress public demonstrations and violated Articles 37 and 39 of the Constitution, which guarantee the right to assemble, demonstrate, and move freely.

“This is not just about roads,” the Institute stated. “It is about the future of constitutional governance in Kenya.”

Katiba argued that the barricades directly contravened earlier court rulings that prohibited blanket restrictions on protests in public spaces. It referenced judgments in Katiba Institute v Inspector General of Police (E349 of 2024) and Law Society of Kenya v Kihinjii (E373 of 2024), where the High Court ruled similar police actions unconstitutional.

The petition states that the decision to barricade roads without public consultation or prior notification violates Article 47 of the Constitution, which requires fair and lawful administrative action.

The Institute is now seeking urgent conservatory orders from the High Court to compel the immediate removal of the barricades. Additionally, it wants the court to:

• Order the Inspector General to issue advance public notices before implementing non-emergency road closures.
• Permanently bar any future actions that unreasonably limit constitutional rights to protest and movement.

Katiba warns that the continued suppression of fundamental freedoms by roadside decisions undermines Kenya’s democratic fabric and threatens constitutionalism.

“This petition is about protecting the rights of every Kenyan,” the statement reads. “We call on the courts and all state actors to respect the Constitution and the rule of law.”

In other news:Kisumu Remains Calm Amid Nationwide Protest Anniversary, But Tensions Disrupt Activist Briefing

Katiba Institute Sues Over Police Barricades in Nairobi CBD