Kenya

Kenya: Court Rejects Rastafari Cannabis Bid

Was Kenya's High Court right to uphold the cannabis ban or is it time to reform the country's outdated drug laws?

Published 2 hours ago

Kenya: Court Rejects Rastafari Cannabis Bid

Story

Above: Rastafarians at a Rastafari commune in Nairobi on July 4. Image credit: Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Kenya's High Court made the right call, rejecting the Rastafari Society's cannabis exemption bid — the petitioners couldn't even agree among themselves whether marijuana is essential or merely preferred in their religious practice. Religious freedom is real, but it doesn't override public health law when the evidence presented is inconsistent and insufficient. The ban stands, and that's exactly how constitutional law should work in a democratic society.

NDTV Kenyans.co.ke BBC News

Government-critical narrative

Cannabis use in Kenya is already widespread, and even the judge who upheld the ban acknowledged that the status quo is untenable. Pouring scarce law enforcement resources into prosecuting small-amount possession makes little sense when violent crime demands the same resources. Kenya needs a serious national conversation about reforming cannabis policy based on evidence and present-day realities, not colonial-era assumptions dressed up as public health law.