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A Kenyan rights group, the Katiba Institute, sued the country’s police chief, Douglas Kanja, for contempt of court on Friday.
The lawsuit targets the Inspector General of Police, accusing him of violating a 2025 court order that requires the police to issue a public notice before disrupting traffic.
The legal action follows the widespread use of unannounced barricades and roadblocks during protests that marked the second anniversary of the historic 2024 “Gen Z” uprising.
The security measures brought Nairobi to a complete standstill on Thursday.
Heavily armed police erected roadblocks on major roads ahead of a scheduled memorial march dedicated to the individuals killed by security forces during the June 2024 demonstrations.
The original 2024 protests, which targeted economic hardship and corruption, previously resulted in dozens of deaths and culminated in the storming of the nation’s parliament.
The Katiba Institute argued in a statement that the unconstitutional blockades infringed upon the public’s freedom of movement and actively endangered lives by blocking ambulances and emergency medical services.
In response to the criticism, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen told journalists that authorities ordered the Nairobi shutdown after receiving an intelligence report indicating that certain individuals planned to bring in criminals to loot and attack civilians.
The National Police Service faces steep criticism for its actions, especially given its history of suppression.
According to a police watchdog, security forces operating with near-total impunity shot and killed at least 127 people during consecutive protest waves in mid-2024 and mid-2025.
The Katiba Institute condemned the latest police interference, stating that a democratic society cannot accept unconstitutional measures designed to suppress peaceful acts of remembrance.
