Raila Odinga reveals his stance on planned June 25 protests
By Steve Ireri, June 24, 2025Orange Democratic Movement [ODM] leader Raila Odinga has come out strongly in defence of the right to protest, affirming that no force in the country has the authority to muzzle public expression.
Raila said so long as the process is done lawfully, orderly, and with respect for property and life, no one should stop anyone from protesting.
Speaking on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, ahead of the demonstrations slated for Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Raila clarified that while the Constitution grants every Kenyan the sacred right to take to the streets, such action must be preceded by official communication to the police detailing where the protests will begin and where they intend to end.
Raila noted that if citizens wish to exercise their constitutional right to demonstrate, they must first serve notice to the relevant authorities to enable security forces to maintain order and prevent chaos or destruction.
“Therefore, if people want to hold demonstrations, they must first notify the government that they intend to do so on a specific date and that they will move from this point to that point; then the police will be sent to protect the demonstrators and to ensure that people’s property is not destroyed. That is how it is done in all civilised nations,” Raila said.
The veteran politician went further to cite Article 37 of the Constitution, stating that the right to assemble and demonstrate is not a favour from the State but a deeply enshrined right guaranteed to every Kenyan — regardless of political leaning, tribe, or social status — as long as the gathering is peaceful and without arms.
“Article 37 of the Constitution says this: every person has the right, peaceably and without being armed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities.
“That means every Kenyan has the right, unarmed, to gather, to protest, to strike, and to submit memoranda to the government. That is a right guaranteed in our Constitution.”
Raila further challenged law enforcement to step up and embrace their role as defenders of democratic rights, and not as suppressors of citizen expression, adding that the world over, police are mandated to facilitate lawful demonstrations, not frustrate them.
“Then, the police should be deployed to protect the demonstrators and ensure that people’s property is not destroyed.”