The Law Society of Kenya has come out strongly against the way protesters are being handled by the justice system.
According to its President Faith Odhiambo, charging peaceful demonstrators with terrorism is wrong, unfair, and shows how badly the system is being misused.
She made this clear in an interview with Citizen TV, where she directly called out the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions led by Renson Ingonga and the judiciary for abusing the law.
Her words reflect growing concern that the Prevention of Terrorism Act is no longer being used to fight real threats, but instead is being turned into a tool to silence dissent and scare citizens.
Odhiambo pointed out that for someone to be charged with terrorism, there must be strong evidence showing intent and planning to carry out a serious crime. Simply participating in a protest is not enough. Yet, protesters and even human rights defenders are now being lumped in with terrorists without any solid proof.
This shows how far the ODPP has fallen from its duty of fairness. Instead of carefully reviewing the evidence, it now appears to be working hand in hand with powerful political forces to punish voices that challenge the system.
She did not spare the judiciary either. A day after activist Boniface Mwangi was granted a personal bond of one million shillings, Odhiambo slammed the courts for issuing what she called “exorbitant and unrealistic” bond terms.
These high figures, she said, go against the idea of fair justice and only serve to keep the poor behind bars. This kind of behaviour by the judiciary only makes it clear that the scales of justice are tipping in favour of state power instead of protecting citizens.
Even more troubling are the recent comments by Chief Justice Martha Koome and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who seem determined to label all forms of protest as terrorism. Murkomen went as far as saying the state will not drop terrorism charges against anyone causing chaos during protests, while Koome declared that violence seen in Kikuyu was an act of terrorism.
These statements are not just careless they are dangerous. They are now being quoted by the ODPP as justification to press terrorism charges against citizens, according to the LSK President.
Faith Odhiambo warned that this kind of language is being used by the state to attack those standing up for justice. She made it clear that the Law Society will not back down from defending the Constitution and the rule of law.
Even as lawyers face threats and intimidation for standing by protesters and human rights activists, LSK says it remains committed to doing what is right.
So far, the Interior Ministry has confirmed that 71 people have been arrested and charged with terrorism offences related to the Saba Saba and June 25th protests.
This number tells a worrying story. It suggests a growing pattern of using the legal system not to protect the country from real dangers, but to crush public resistance.
At the heart of the matter is a justice system that no longer seems to care about truth, fairness, or evidence.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the judiciary must stop working as tools of oppression and start serving the people as they are meant to.
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