President Ruto.
By Peter Mwibanda.
NAIROBI, Kenya (IP) — President William Ruto’s administration is facing mounting criticism after charging 37 young protesters with terrorism-related offenses — a move rights groups say marks a dangerous escalation in the government’s response to youth-led demonstrations.
The charges, announced this week by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, are the harshest since the protests began in June. Initially sparked by Gen Z demonstrators opposing the Finance Bill 2024, the movement has grown into a broader critique of government accountability and rising costs of living.
While most protests have been peaceful, some incidents of arson and property damage have occurred.
Still, legal experts and human rights advocates warn that invoking terrorism laws to prosecute protesters represents a dangerous overreach.
“This is an orchestrated campaign to crush legitimate protest by branding it as terrorism,” said Wanjiku Khamasi, a Nairobi-based human rights lawyer. “It creates a chilling effect on freedom of expression and assembly.”
Among those arrested is activist Boniface Mwangi, who was detained Saturday and now faces terrorism-related charges. His arrest has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concern over judicial independence and executive overreach.
Critics argue that Kenya’s anti-terrorism legislation — designed to address extremist threats — is being misused to delegitimize a youth-driven movement that has unsettled the country’s political establishment with its digital organizing and vocal demands for reform.
“Ruto is not just cracking down — he’s selling fear,” said political analyst David Osiany. “This is not about law and order. It’s about maintaining control by painting protesters as national security threats.”
Under Kenya’s Prevention of Terrorism Act, terrorism charges carry severe penalties, including extended pre-trial detention and denial of bail.
Rights organizations such as Amnesty International Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission have described the charges as “punitive, unconstitutional, and meant to intimidate the next generation of civic actors.”
The government has defended its actions. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the state would deal firmly with “anarchists, looters, and saboteurs hiding behind peaceful protest.”
Still, legal observers caution against conflating peaceful protesters with criminal elements.
They argue that doing so erodes constitutional protections under Article 37, which guarantees the right to assemble, demonstrate, and present petitions to public authorities.
Images of teargassed youth, abductions, and now terrorism charges have shifted public discourse. What began as a protest against economic hardship has evolved into a broader critique of the state’s handling of dissent.
“This is a terror trap,” said youth organizer Cynthia Oduor. “You speak out, and they call you a terrorist. It’s psychological warfare.”
The arrests have further polarized the nation. On social media — the primary organizing space for the movement — hashtags such as #RutoTerrorTrap and #FreeThe37 are trending.
Supporters accuse the government of criminalizing dissent and silencing legitimate civic action.
Civil society groups have called for nationwide vigils, legal support, and public court watch. Several lawyers have offered pro bono representation to those arrested and vowed to challenge the charges in court.
With the 2027 general election on the horizon, analysts say the government’s current approach may have long-term implications for Kenya’s political culture and civil liberties.
The question now is whether the state is maintaining public order — or persecuting protest.
Either way, the message is being heard loudly across the nation: Speak up at your own peril.
Peter Mwibanda is a legal analyst, political blogger, and civic advocate based in Bungoma, Kenya.
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