“Not A Battlefield”- Amnesty International Warns Police Ahead Of Today’s Protests Over Fuel Prices

As Kenya braces for planned demonstrations today, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the human rights group Amnesty International has issued a stern warning to the National Police Service (NPS) against the use of excessive force. In a statement released on Monday evening, the organization reminded law enforcement that Article 37 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to peaceful and unarmed assembly.

The rights group called upon Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to ensure that officers facilitate and protect protesters rather than attempting to suppress them.

Facilitation, Not Permission

Addressing the recent friction between police commanders and protest organizers regarding “official notification,” Amnesty clarified the legal standing of such requirements.

“The purpose of protest notifications is to coordinate public safety, not to request permission,” the statement read. “The Police bear a primary responsibility for collectively facilitating and protecting this right, not for suppressing it.”

Amnesty referenced a history of past demonstrations marred by arbitrary arrests, the harassment of journalists, and the obstruction of medical personnel, warning that such actions have no place in a constitutional democracy.

Individual and Command Accountability

The rights group emphasized that officers and their commanders could be held personally and criminally liable for human rights violations. Citing recent court rulings, Amnesty underscored that:

• Firearms should only be used when strictly unavoidable to protect life.

• Live ammunition against protesters is illegal.

• Treating protest zones as “battlefields” is a violation of constitutional standards.

The “New Fuel Prices” Catalyst

The current wave of unrest has been driven by a massive online campaign on X (formerly Twitter), where Kenyan youth have mobilized against the latest Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) review.

Although President William Ruto recently directed a VAT reduction that brought petrol down to Ksh 197.60 and diesel to Ksh 196.63, the revision has done little to calm public anger. Many Kenyans argue that the prices—which initially peaked at over Ksh 206—remain fundamentally unaffordable, leading to the call for mass action today.

As protesters take to the streets, the eyes of international observers are now on IG Douglas Kanja to see if the police will adhere to the “professionalism and restraint” he promised during his press briefing at Vigilance House last Friday.