Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome has called on the National Police Service to exercise restraint and respect human rights when managing public demonstrations, insisting officers must differentiate peaceful protesters from criminal elements who infiltrate rallies to loot or incite violence. Speaking in Nairobi on 8 July while swearing in new commissioners to the National Police Service Commission, Koome said professional, people-centred policing is essential to preserve the constitutional right to peaceful assembly. Her remarks follow the 7 July Saba Saba Day protests, during which at least 10 people were reported killed and dozens injured as demonstrations against economic hardship and alleged police brutality turned violent in Nairobi and several other towns. Businesses were vandalised and property worth millions of shillings destroyed, underscoring the rising tension between security forces and largely youth-led protest movements. Koome urged law-enforcement agencies to apprehend and prosecute individuals who use demonstrations as cover for violence while warning protesters to remain peaceful and unarmed. She stressed that police responses must be proportionate and compliant with human-rights standards to avoid further loss of life and erosion of public trust.