Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris has dismissed claims that she is doing President Ruto’s bidding through the newly proposed bill to restrict demonstrations.
Passaris defended her decision to front the Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to limit public demonstrations from accessing key government institutions.
Explaining to a heckling crowd at the event organized by the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), Passaris noted that she came up with the bill in October 2024, after the Finance Bill protesters spilled into the Parliament building, setting a section on fire.
Passaris denies Ruto’s involvement in the bill she proposed. Photo: Courtesy.
She went on to insist that President Ruto became aware of the Bill through online platforms, as most people did.
Passaris moreover criticized the youth-led protests, noting the chaos and violence witnessed in them, unlike her own party’s demonstrations, which she termed peaceful.
The contentious Bill aims to control the manner in which citizens picket and exercise their right to demonstrate as protected by Article 37 of the Kenyan Constitution.
