Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina has called on young lawyers across the country to urgently move to courts and offer legal defence to protesters arrested during the ongoing anti-government demonstrations.
In a post on X on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the legislator stated that it was the duty of the legal fraternity, especially young advocates, to rise in defence of the Constitution and safeguard the rights of Kenyans detained while exercising their freedoms.
“All young lawyers, lawyer up, go to court to defend and secure the release of all protesters across the 27 counties,” Njeri posted.
She called on legal practitioners to take action by securing the release of all protesters who had been arrested, describing the moment as a constitutional duty and a national honour.
The lawmaker, who has positioned herself as a vocal defender of civic freedoms, noted that impunity must not be allowed to thrive under the guise of law enforcement.
She urged lawyers to stand firm and protect the gains made under the 2010 Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and expression.
“It is our duty to defend the fidelity of the COK 2010! It is an honour to protect this country against impunity.”
The lawmaker was referencing the young people who were apprehended while staging demonstrations on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in opposition to President William Ruto’s administration and acts of police brutality, as they honoured the memory of those who perished in earlier protests.
In the wake of the escalating unrest, a number of leaders have begun voicing their sentiments, with some endorsing the demonstrations while others have vehemently condemned them.
Among them is Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who condemned the protests, describing them as acts of lawlessness and economic sabotage that should not go unpunished.
In a similar statement on his official X account on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the outspoken senator dismissed the nationwide impact of the demonstrations, downplaying the scale of unrest and accusing organisers of attempting to destabilise the country.
“Yesterday, the entire country was peaceful at 99.99 per cent. Only 0.01 per cent was under senseless demonstrations that were one region and one street—Kenyatta Street in Nairobi City County only—that were executed by economic saboteurs and coup plotters,” he stated.
The Gen Z-led protests, which erupted in several parts of the country, including Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, saw thousands of young Kenyans demanding government accountability, economic reforms, and honouring the victims of the 2024 demos. However, Cherargei dismissed the demonstrations as illegitimate and politically motivated.
“The unfortunate events of yesterday in the guise of peaceful demonstrations were an act of lawlessness, impunity, and abuse of law. The planners, financiers, and executors must be investigated and prosecuted!” the statement read.
