For over a decade, Kenyans have buried protesters, treated life-changing injuries and watched cycles of violence repeat on our streets and in our communities. A new draft Freedom of Assembly Bill offers a chance to break this pattern. What does it get right, where does it depart from previous bills, and what must be strengthened to ensure that demonstrations are protected, not punished?

A growing number of cases before Kenya’s courts show that state institutions created to protect our environment and wildlife are enabling their destruction as amendments to critical safeguard laws are introduced. Unless this is changes, the judiciary may be the last line of defence against state-led environmental destruction. This column is co-written with JustAct Executive Director Akshay Vishwanath.

What is more astonishing? Seven citizens allegedly abducted, unlawfully detained and tortured after a march honouring victims of police brutality on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture or the Interior Principal Secretary insisting no enforced disappearances have taken place under President Ruto’s administration?

Now firmly etched in the national conscience, the second anniversary of 25 June 2024 was thankfully commemorated without fatalities and few injuries. The mothers of those we commemorated once again turned private grief into another historical moment of national resistance.

Listening to the State House speeches and reading the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Reparations Framework, I agree with transitional justice expert Tina Alai’s observation. While the moment is significant, it is not yet historic. What clarity does the Framework offer victims and a nation traumatised by state violence and what must the State do next?

The violent disruption of a public procession and arrest of nine environmentalists including a former Chief Justice on the 8 June elevated the proposed development in Nairobi National Park to international public attention. As the matter heads to court later this month, what is at stake, and what would a win–win outcome look like? This column was co-written with JustAct Executive Director Akshay Vishwanath.

The midnight home arrest of Officer in Charge of Police Station Dishon Angoya during another week of protests, perhaps not wholly surprising, was still unsettling. What does it reveal about how state power is being exercised?

The assault of Senator Godfrey Osotsi is not just an attack on an individual. It is an attack on Kenya’s democratic space. I wish the Senator quick recovery and his attackers, and those that sent them, a day in court as soon as possible. What would a responsible elections security management strategy look like?

Kisumu High Court’s 25 March judgment this week, awarding Sh 38.6 million to 28 victims and families, validates their long‑ignored cries for justice. What implications does this ruling have for the victims and the path to reparations and justice?

With the legal hurdles now cleared, compensation for victims of violent policing during protests is back on the table. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, now affirmed as the constitutional body to deliver the President’s pledge, must define its path and steer clear of fresh obstacles.

Independent film-maker Nick Wambugu took his final bow this week after battling a rare blood disorder. As the Kenyan film industry prepares its tributes, Nick’s passing deserves wider acknowledgement by the Kenyan public and international community. Unlike many, Nick filmed not only to explain our world but to offer the silenced a voice and to protect the truth. An opinion co-written with Actor Melissa Kiplagat.

The High Court has struck down the President’s Panel of Experts on compensating victims of protest-related state violence. Survivors and families should not lose hope. Justice Edward Muriithi has outlined a fair path forward for all parties.