Nairobi remained on edge Monday as Kenya marked Saba Saba Day an annual commemoration of the July 7, 1990 pro-democracy uprising that challenged President Daniel arap Moi’s authoritarian rule. This year’s remembrance unfolded against a backdrop of mounting public anger, economic discontent, and fear of police brutality.
Authorities deployed heavily armed police and erected roadblocks across the capital, effectively shutting down much of the city. Businesses remained closed as residents heeded warnings of possible unrest. Leading activist Hanifa Aden captured the eerie calm on social media, calling it a “total shutdown and forced holiday executed by the state.”
The protests come at a time when frustrations are boiling over. Many young Kenyans, faced with unemployment, inflation, and systemic corruption, are increasingly turning to the streets to voice their grievances. Social media has become a powerful tool in mobilising these demonstrations, which have at times spiraled into violence, looting, and deadly clashes.
Since June 2024, at least 80 people have reportedly died in the unrest, while hundreds more have been injured or detained many allegedly held without charge. Protesters accuse the government of infiltrating peaceful demonstrations with hired vandals to tarnish the legitimacy of the movement, claims the state denies.
The recent disruption of a Kenyan Human Rights Commission press conference by armed intruders has only deepened concerns over shrinking civic space and the erosion of democratic freedoms.
President William Ruto, despite maintaining a political edge through a surprising alliance with opposition leader Raila Odinga, faces growing criticism over the state’s heavy-handed response. Activists like Nerima Wako warn that each new crackdown only fuels further unrest. “Every time people organise a protest, they kill more people, so it just continues to feed off itself,” she said.
Gabrielle Lynch, an expert on African politics at the University of Warwick, noted that the government appears to be reusing tactics from the 1990s. “But we’re not in the nineties,” she said. “People don’t have the same inbuilt fear of the state.”
As Kenya reflects on its democratic journey, the tensions surrounding Saba Saba 2024 signal a nation grappling with its past and an uncertain future.
