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Willis Otieno explains why Saba Saba protests were a success
09th July, 2025 07:04 AM
Political analyst and lawyer Willis Otieno has outlined reasons why the Saba Saba protests held across the country were successful.
Speaking during a podcast aired on Tuesday, July 7, 2025, Willis stated that the effectiveness of a protest is measured by how well its message is received.
In his assessment, the Saba Saba demonstrations captured national attention, with major headlines in newspapers and public discussions dominated by the protests and their aftermath.
For him, this widespread focus was clear evidence that the intended message reached the public and decision-makers alike.
“A successful protest simply means that the message of the protest is loudly heard and received by everybody. Look at the dailies today. What was on the minds of everybody? What is everybody discussing? Everybody is discussing the events of yesterday. That is a success of a protest,” Otieno said.
Impact of the protests
However, while acknowledging the impact of the protests, he also expressed concern over the loss of lives, particularly in residential areas.
He noted that no deaths were reported in the central business districts where most protests occurred, but fatalities were recorded in residential zones—areas where police engaged with unarmed civilians.
“Not a single person died in the CBD; all deaths recorded were in the residential areas. Were they with guns? No recorded deaths in the hands of a civilian; the police decided to disobey the constitution and commit acts of atrocities against the people,” Otieno stated.
He argued that while Kenyans exercised their constitutional right to protest, the police responded outside the bounds of the law. According to him, the excessive use of force, resulting in injuries and deaths, was a clear violation of the Constitution and a failure to protect peaceful demonstrators.
Otieno emphasised the need to hold security forces accountable and called on Kenyans to continue seeking justice for those who lost their lives during the protests.
Original intention of Saba Saba
He further stated that the original intention of Sabasaba was to highlight the struggles of the people and their right to demand accountability, dignity, and a better life.
According to him, this was clearly reflected in the events of July 7, 2025, and the same message was successfully communicated.
He added that physical presence on the streets is not the only way to protest. Even staying at home and engaging in conversations about the issues means the objective was achieved.
He defended this view by citing how the Central Business District appeared deserted during the protests, which to him was proof that the message had been received loudly and clearly.
He explained that when people see an empty CBD, the immediate question becomes why it was deserted, and the answer points to public dissatisfaction with the current regime.
“And to the extent that the CBD was deserted, that shows the extent of a successful protest: people staying at home and not appearing in the CBD, and the question in everybody’s mind will be, ‘Why are they not in the street?’ It is because people are dissatisfied; people are angry,” he added.
According to Willis, this aligns with the original spirit of Sabasaba since the 1990s—standing up to demand justice and better governance.
