Ruto: Gen Z protests were a call to be heard, not an assault on democracy
President William Ruto has said the 2024 Gen Z-led protests in Kenya were a call to be heard, not an assault on democracy, while insisting that constitutional freedoms do not extend to violence or destruction of property. Speaking at the 16th Katiba Day Symposium at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on August 27, 2026, Ruto reflected on the demonstrations and the constitutional questions they raised about the balance between citizens' rights and the state's duty to maintain order.
"During the protests of 2024 and those that followed, young Kenyans and other citizens exercised their constitutional freedoms to speak, assemble, demonstrate, picket and petition public authorities," Ruto said. He said the protests were driven by demands for greater accountability, better government and a meaningful role in shaping the country's future. "Their message was clear: they wanted to be heard," he said.
Ruto quoted Article 37 of the Constitution, which protects the right to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions. He said the demands made during the protests should not be treated as an attack on democracy. "Those demands were not an assault on democracy. Peaceful protest, criticism, and dissent are essential to democracy," he said.
The protests and their aftermath
The 2024 protests erupted in June after the government tabled a Finance Bill proposing new taxes on everyday essentials. The demonstrations were largely driven by young Kenyans who had used social media platforms including TikTok, X and Instagram to organise nationwide protests. The protests intensified after Parliament passed the Bill on June 25, when demonstrators stormed the building. The demonstrations broadened from opposition to the tax proposals to wider demands for accountability and an end to police brutality. Ruto eventually withdrew the legislation.
At the Katiba Day event, Ruto acknowledged that some families lost loved ones and that serious allegations had been made concerning unlawful arrests, enforced disappearances and the use of excessive lethal force during the protests. He called for every credible allegation of a human-rights violation to be investigated independently, thoroughly and transparently.
Ruto, however, said the Constitution protects peaceful and unarmed assembly, but does not protect arson, looting, lawlessness, violence, intimidation, attacks on citizens or the destruction of public and private property. He urged Kenyans to distinguish between citizens exercising constitutional rights and individuals committing criminal offences, saying the right to protest carries a responsibility to remain peaceful and unarmed.
Constitutional limits on power
Alongside his remarks on the protests, Ruto spoke about the limits of electoral mandates. He said an electoral mandate does not give an elected government unlimited authority, insisting that power secured at the ballot box must always be exercised within the confines of the Constitution. "Voters give elected leaders a mandate to implement their programmes, but that mandate comes with a responsibility to operate within the law," he said.
Ruto reflected on the balance between democratic mandates, constitutional checks, judicial independence and the protection of citizens' rights. He said political parties campaign on competing manifestos before voters choose the government they want, giving the winning administration both democratic legitimacy and an obligation to deliver on its promises.
He raised questions about how elected institutions should respond when government policies are challenged or declared unconstitutional by the courts. "When a court finds that a policy violates the Constitution, how should the Executive and Parliament respond promptly and constructively?" he asked.
Ruto maintained that raising such questions should not be viewed as an attempt to undermine the Judiciary, declaring that judicial independence remains a fundamental pillar of Kenya's constitutional order. "Judicial independence is non-negotiable. Courts must remain free to interpret the Constitution, protect rights and invalidate unlawful actions," he said.
He said governments must comply with court orders whenever their actions are found to be unlawful, while constitutional space for legitimate policy choices must equally be protected.