Today, as has become our practice whenever large demonstrations are anticipated, the Kenya Medical Association – Beyond The Stethoscope Kigali Road Field Hospital was established. In medicine we say that prevention is better than cure. The field hospital was born from the painful realization that many people injured during previous demonstrations had no timely access to first aid. Early management of injuries saves lives, reduces disability and improves long-term outcomes. I am grateful that today there were no reports of major casualties requiring our services.
As I walked through Nairobi’s city centre, however, I was reminded that not all injuries are physical. Some wounds are inflicted on the very fabric of democracy.
The city centre was heavily populated by plain-clothed security personnel. Their presence raised an important question about the balance between maintaining public order and protecting constitutional rights. Many young Kenyans carrying the national flag and chanting “Wantam” appeared to attract particular attention. The sight of Subaru vehicles moving through the city brought back memories that have become deeply embedded in the public consciousness.
A democracy should never allow citizens to fear exercising rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution. The freedoms of peaceful assembly, expression, association and movement are not privileges granted by the state — they are constitutional rights. Young people waving the Kenyan flag should be seen first as citizens exercising democratic freedoms, not as enemies of the state.
One lesson from today’s events is that methods of policing matter just as much as the objective of maintaining security. The deployment of officers in plain clothes, particularly where they are not readily identifiable, creates uncertainty and mistrust. Ordinary citizens may struggle to distinguish between legitimate law enforcement officers and criminals. That uncertainty undermines public confidence and places both citizens and genuine security officers at risk.
Where security officers are deployed, they should, as far as practicable and consistent with the law, be clearly identifiable and accountable for their actions. Transparency protects the public, but it also protects the integrity of law enforcement itself.
Another lesson is that trauma is not limited to physical injury. For any young Kenyan who is detained, questioned or confronted while believing they are exercising lawful constitutional rights, the psychological impact may last far longer than the day’s events. Democracies should strive not merely to maintain order but to preserve the trust between citizens and the institutions established to protect them.
Perhaps the greatest irony of the day was economic rather than political. Government messaging suggested that business would proceed as usual, yet extraordinary security measures effectively brought much of Nairobi’s central business district to a standstill. Whether by intention or consequence, the result resembled a public holiday without a gazette notice. Once again, Kenya’s Gen Z demonstrated the remarkable influence they now possess in shaping national conversation.
The anniversary of the #AntiFinanceBillProtest should ultimately remind us of something much larger than politics. It should remind us that every generation inherits the responsibility of defending constitutional freedoms. Human rights are rarely lost overnight. They are gradually weakened whenever citizens become afraid to assemble, to speak, to move freely or to express peaceful dissent.
The true measure of a democracy is not how it treats those who agree with government, but how it protects the rights of those who disagree with it peacefully.
Today’s most important lesson is therefore not whether demonstrations occurred or were prevented. It is whether Kenya continues to uphold the constitutional values that define us as a democratic nation governed by the rule of law.
The Constitution must remain stronger than fear.
#TukaeRada #HumanRights #RuleOfLaw #ConstitutionOfKenya #AntiFinanceBillProtest