Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja is facing a contempt of court application over the closure of major roads in Nairobi during commemorative processions marking the second anniversary of the June 2024 Finance Bill protests.
In a statement issued on June 26, the Katiba Institute said it had moved to court following the June 25 deployment of heavily armed police officers who erected barricades on key roads leading into Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), despite assurances from the Interior Ministry that it would be “business as usual.”
The institute argues that the National Police Service (NPS) acted in violation of existing High Court orders that prohibit the erection of roadblocks on public roads without timely advance notice to the public.
“In response to this blatant disregard for the judiciary, Katiba Institute has formally filed a contempt of court application seeking to hold Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja accountable for violating standing court orders,” the institute said.
IG Kanja Faces Contempt Case Over Roadblocks
Katiba Institute said the court orders were issued after it successfully challenged similar road closures during the June 2025 protest anniversary.
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The High Court restrained IG Kanja and subordinate officers from mounting barricades or roadblocks on public roads without issuing advance public advisories.
According to the institute, the court found that unannounced roadblocks infringe on the constitutional rights to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly, endanger lives by delaying emergency services, and disrupt economic activity by restricting access to workplaces and courts.
The organization said motorists and pedestrians were blocked or forced to turn back at multiple roadblocks from the early hours of June 25, affecting major roads including Thika Road, Mombasa Road, Waiyaki Way, and routes leading to Parliament.
It further argued that the police actions directly contradicted the High Court’s directives and undermined public assurances that there would be no disruption on the anniversary of the protest.
Katiba Institute also rejected the police leadership’s justification that the roadblocks were routine security checks, saying such explanations do not exempt the National Police Service from the legal obligation to issue prior public notice.
“Public statements by police leadership, defending these roadblocks as routine security checks, do not exempt the NPS from the legal requirement to provide prior public notice,” stated the Katiba Institute.
The institute said public order and human rights can coexist and called on the courts to uphold the Constitution and ensure that no one is above the law.
Police Closure of Roads Ahead of June 25 Protests
Several roads were closed with heavy police deployment ahead of June 25, which marked two years since the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations that left tens of Kenyan youth dead.
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Police reportedly blocked public service vehicles at the Nairobi Funeral Home roundabout along Ngong Road as security operations intensified ahead of the planned protests.
Matatus and other public transport vehicles were barred from entering Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), forcing commuters to seek alternative routes to the city center.
Heavy traffic was reported along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway on Thursday morning after police mounted multiple roadblocks ahead of the planned protests.
A heavy traffic jam was reported at Mlolongo as early as 5:30 a.m., with motorists facing long delays on their way to Nairobi. Additional checkpoints in areas such as Kenya-Israel and Kyumbi further slowed traffic, leading to a buildup of vehicles along the busy route.
The congestion came amid heightened security operations and movement restrictions on key routes leading into the capital.
Police blocked access through the Bunyala Roundabout as security operations intensified across Nairobi.
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