Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Passaris. /FILENairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has come out to defend her proposed Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to prohibit public demonstrations and gatherings within 100 metres of key government installations.
Speaking in Nakuru during a National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) meeting on Thursday, Passaris dismissed claims that President William Ruto had influenced her decision to introduce the bill.
“I have seen people on social media saying I'm gun for hire, that it's Ruto who has given me the authority to table the bill,” she said.
Passaris maintains that the intention behind the amendment is not to suppress dissent but to protect lives and public property, especially near high-security government institutions, including Parliament, courts and State House.
“I started working on that bill on October 18, 2024, after Gen Z entered Parliament and vandalised things. Lives were put in danger, and others died. So I said, I don't want to prevent demonstrations, we should give information regarding that demonstration."
Passaris was referring to the events of June 25, 2024, when youthful protesters under the banner of Gen Z stormed Parliament during demonstrations against the now-withdrawn Finance Bill, 2024.
The bill had proposed what many described as punitive tax measures, sparking nationwide unrest.
Protesters breached barricades, set part of the National Assembly ablaze, and clashed with police in confrontations that left several people dead.
During the first anniversary of the Occupy Parliament protests in June 2025, several demonstrators were again killed in confrontations with police.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the otherwise peaceful protests had been infiltrated by hired goons who instigated violence and destruction.
Passaris’ proposed amendment comes in the wake of unprecedented protests across Kenya, with government-allied leaders terming the bill as progressive and timely.
However, critics argue that it could infringe on Article 37 of the constitution, which guarantees every person the right to assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities — provided these actions are peaceful and unarmed.
Passaris weighed in on the planned Saba Saba protests scheduled for July 7, urging demonstrators to refrain from acts that harm others or destroy property.
"Please, if you want to have demonstrations, let them be peaceful. Don't go attacking people's businesses," she said.
This comes even as the National Police Service said it had not received formal notification regarding the planned protests.
Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga on Thursday confirmed that authorities were yet to be officially informed.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Nyaga warned Kenyans against holding demonstrations without seeking a formal permit, saying this could land them on the wrong side of the law.
