The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has criticised recent remarks by Samia Suluhu Hassan, warning that any move to clamp down on civic activism in East Africa could undermine fundamental freedoms.
LSK President Charles Kanjama said the comments raise serious concerns about respect for constitutional rights and the rule of law across the region. He cautioned against efforts to limit freedoms such as expression, association, and peaceful assembly, which are protected under Kenya’s Constitution.
“The Constitution is clear on these rights. They are not privileges granted by the State, but protections that form the backbone of a democratic society,” Kanjama said.
These comments came after President Suluhu’s previous remarks this week calling for collaboration among regional governments to handle youth-led protests. In her interactions with William Ruto, she referred to some of the protesting youths as being disruptive and urged that stringent action needs to be taken against them.
President Suluhu also noted that people who cross borders to join in the protests need to be acted upon by the authorities of the country in question, an approach that has elicited disapproval from various organizations representing legal practitioners and human rights defenders.
The LSK president opposed any efforts to view civic activism as lawlessness because it is part of a thriving democracy for one to call for accountability and transparency within such a state. According to Kanjama, it will be easy to bring such restrictions on the rights in question to court to seek redress.
LSK views are important in maintaining civic space both for Kenya and for the entire East Africa Region since youth voices have been increasingly playing an instrumental role in matters of governance.