The National Police Service (NPS) has said it did not receive formal notification for the planned Saba Saba Day protests scheduled for Tuesday, July 7, 2026, insisting that organisers must comply with the law governing public processions.

Speaking during a televised interview on Monday, July 6, 2026, police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said notification for a public procession must be submitted in writing to the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) responsible for the area where the protest is to be held.

“That question would have been well dealt with by the Nairobi regional commander because this is the officer who is responsible for Nairobi,” Muchiri said when asked whether police had received notification of the planned demonstrations.

He added: “I don’t have an answer to that. And ordinarily, from where I work, at the headquarters, this notification, and it’s in the law, has to be presented before the officer commanding police station, the OCS.”

Notification process

Muchiri said the written notification enables police and organisers to engage on issues such as the planned route, starting time and the expected number of participants.

“Because this is the person that will have an engagement with anybody that wants to picket or to protest. There will be an indication as to where these protesters would want to go, when it will need to start, how many are involved,” he said.

On the constitutional right to demonstrate, Muchiri said Article 37 should be read together with other provisions of the Constitution.

“So while we recognise the strength of Article 37, I’ve mentioned that it’s not absolute. It’s not absolute,” he said.

He maintained that police had not received the notification required under the law.

“The information that we got was that the Nairobi region commander had not received. Remember, it’s not even the Nairobi region commander who’s supposed to receive a notification. It’s the officer commanding the station. So, asking around, there was no such notification.”

Muchiri added that a notification addressed to the Inspector General would not replace the legal requirement.

“You have to go by the law, that the local officer commanding station needs to be notified in writing. The person notifying him needs also to state, to give his particulars.”

Government position

The remarks came hours after Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said Tuesday July 7, 2026 would be a normal working day.

“There are no saba saba maandamano tomorrow. Its a working day. Tujenge Kenya pamoja,” Mwaura said in a statement posted on his official X account.

The statement urged Kenyans to continue with their normal activities.

Despite the government’s position, the Social Justice Centres Working Group and other civil society organisations have maintained plans to hold demonstrations under the theme “March for Our Lives.”

The National Police Service has also announced enhanced security measures across Nairobi, including additional checkpoints on major roads.

Police said the measures were informed by previous Saba Saba Day commemorations that disrupted normal business and public order.

The service urged members of the public to cooperate with security officers, warning that anyone engaging in unlawful acts would face legal action.