Sifuna castigates Passaris over proposed bill to limit protests
By Arnold Ngure, July 23, 2025Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has castigated Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris for sponsoring a constitutional amendment bill seeking to restrict the right to protest as spelled out in Article 37 of the Constitution.
Speaking during a live TV interview on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Sifuna said that it was incomprehensible that such proposals were coming from ODM Party members.
He observed that the ODM Party was built on the strength of the people, and street protests have been among the key pillars the party has used to achieve transformative changes.
“It is very difficult now to discern the position of ODM, and that is the biggest sadness,” Sifuna stated.
Article 37 rights
“When a member of ODM proposes a bill saying ‘we want to limit the rights under Article 37’, what is ODM without Article 37? What is ODM without street protests?” Sifuna posed.
“ODM is a movement that has been built on the strength of the people; so, you cannot be the ones telling us today that you are sponsoring a bill seeking to limit the rights under Article 37.”
He lamented the confusion that has gripped the party since Raila Odinga entered into a working agreement with President William Ruto’s UDA Party on March 7, 2025, saying this has confused several party members.
Confusion in ODM
“The confusion comes there, becomes I can no longer pronounce myself authoritatively on the position of the party when it comes to the rights under Article 37,” Sifuna stated.
In the bill by Passaris seeking to amend the Public Order Act, she proposes that public protests, gatherings, and picketing within 100 meters of Parliament, State House, court buildings, and other designated protected areas be banned.
It also proposes the establishment of official assembly and demonstration zones where protest activity would be lawfully permitted.
The Cabinet Secretary for Interior, in conjunction with county governments, would have the power to demarcate these zones in urban centers and sensitive areas.
Individuals found conducting public gatherings or protests within the restricted radius would be subject to a fine not exceeding Ksh100,000, three months’ imprisonment, or both.