NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 29 – The Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) has criticized Chief of Defence Forces Charles Kahariri and National Intelligence Service Director General Noordin Haji for warning protesters rooting for President William Ruto’s removal.
The commission asserted that state security agencies have no authority to suppress public expression, emphasizing that Article 1 of the Constitution affirms that all sovereign power belongs to the people.
“No authority—military, intelligence, or executive—can override the sovereignty of the people of Kenya,” KNHRC stated on Saturday.
The commission accused the government of engaging in McCarthyism and political intimidation, insisting that the “Ruto Must Go” chants fall within Kenyans’ constitutional rights.
It further alleged that the executive, military, and intelligence service—not the protesters—have acted outside the law.
“The executive unlawfully deployed the military last year when Kenyans breached Parliament to reclaim their power,” the statement read. “The military participated in this unconstitutional action, while the intelligence service has been linked to enforced disappearances.”
KNHRC argued that these actions violate democratic principles and constitutional provisions on human rights, freedoms, and the rule of law.
“Neither Kahariri nor Haji has the moral authority to lecture Kenyans on upholding the Constitution—they have trampled upon it,” the commission stated.
Reaffirming Kenyans’ right to peaceful assembly and free expression, KNHRC emphasized that the government, military, and intelligence service must remain subordinate to the will of the people.
“Kenyans will not bow to unconstitutional decrees. The people and the Constitution are supreme—not the government, not the military, and certainly not the intelligence service,” it declared.
The commission vowed to defend Kenyans’ right to self-determination and resistance against repression, stating that political defiance is deeply rooted in the nation’s history.
Source: capitalfm
