Every year on July 7th, Kenyans mark Saba Saba Day, a pivotal moment in the country’s political history. While younger generations may recognize the date from trending hashtags or protests in recent years, the origins of Saba Saba lie in a bold, painful, and ultimately transformative struggle for democracy that unfolded in the 1990s. “Saba Saba,” which means “Seven Seven” in Kiswahili, refers to July 7, 1990—a day when Kenyans first rose up in mass numbers to demand multi-party democracy.
At the time, Kenya was firmly under the grip of a one-party dictatorship led by President Daniel arap Moi. Since the 1982 constitutional amendment that outlawed opposition parties, Kenya had become a de facto one-party state. The ruling party, KANU, controlled every arm of government, and dissent was brutally punished. Political detention, censorship, and police harassment were rampant. Civil society, independent media, and political plurality had all but been strangled.
Despite this repressive environment, a new wave of resistance began to stir in the late 1980s. On July 7, 1990, opposition leaders Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga organized a public rally at Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi to call for political reforms. This rally was declared illegal by the state, and as protestors gathered, police responded with tear gas, brutal beatings, and live bullets. The clashes that ensued led to the deaths of several protestors, hundreds of injuries, and mass arrests. What began as a one-day protest quickly exploded into countrywide riots, particularly in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa.
Saba Saba was a national awakening. For the first time since independence, citizens openly challenged authoritarian rule on such a large scale. The Moi regime responded with characteristic force, but the movement it tried to crush only grew stronger. The violent crackdown exposed the brutality of the state to the world and stirred even more dissent within Kenya’s borders. The momentum from Saba Saba would become the foundation of Kenya’s second liberation.
Less than two years later, in December 1991, the government bowed to pressure and repealed Section 2A of the Constitution, which had made Kenya a one-party state. This legal change paved the way for the return of multi-party politics and ultimately ushered in new political freedoms that culminated in the 2002 regime change and the 2010 Constitution of Kenya. The sacrifices of July 7, 1990, were not in vain, they reset the political course of the nation.
Today, Saba Saba remains a powerful symbol of resistance, courage, and the long road to freedom. In recent years, especially between 2020 and 2025, a new generation—Gen Z—has reclaimed the day to demand accountability from the government. From protests against police brutality and extra-judicial killings to digital resistance campaigns, young Kenyans are connecting past and present struggles. Many of today’s youth may not remember the 1990 protests, but they resonate with the spirit of defiance that Saba Saba represents.
In 2025, Saba Saba carries renewed urgency. Kenya faces a storm of youth discontent: rising unemployment, new tax burdens, and increasing reports of police violence. Just like in 1990, many feel voiceless in a system that silences dissent. As Gen Z takes to the streets and online spaces, they do so on the shoulders of the heroes of Saba Saba 1990.
This day is not just a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder that rights must be defended, that freedom is never free, and that Kenya’s democracy is a living project, shaped, challenged, and defended by every generation.
Whether you’re learning about Saba Saba for the first time or commemorating it as part of your own lived history, one thing is clear: Kenya’s fight for justice and dignity is far from over. And Saba Saba reminds us that the people always have the power to rise.
