Lamu Residents Protest Decades-Long Road Restrictions, Demand Free Movement
Residents of Lamu County, alongside human rights defenders, staged a protest in Mombasa on Thursday to demand an end to long-standing roadblocks and movement restrictions along the Lamu–Garsen highway. The highway, which has been routinely closed between 6pm and 7am for more than a decade, has become a symbol of what locals describe as collective punishment disguised as security measures. Activists from Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), She Rises, Vocal Africa and local community groups said the curfew-style controls have crippled livelihoods, particularly for fishermen and small-scale traders who depend on early-morning and late-evening travel to access markets.
Community leaders traced the origins of the restrictions to historical insecurity, from the Shifta War era in the 1960s to the 2014 Al-Shabaab attacks in Mpeketoni, events that prompted heightened surveillance across Lamu. However, they argued that the restrictions have persisted long after similar measures were lifted in neighbouring counties facing comparable threats. According to MUHURI director Khelef Khalifa, the enforced closures violate several constitutional rights, including freedom of movement, equality, and fair administrative action. Activists further claimed that the measures have encouraged harassment, intimidation, and extortion by some security officers manning the roadblocks, pushing many young people into idleness and social vices due to limited economic opportunities.
The demonstrations also amplified local frustrations over the economic toll of the restrictions. Fishermen reported soaring transport costs, with a kilo of fish now selling at nearly double its usual price due to limited access to markets in Kiunga and Mombasa. Human rights advocates warned that the prolonged limitations have forced many indigenous residents to migrate, leaving Lamu’s socio-economic fabric in jeopardy. The groups urged Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to intervene urgently and open the Lamu highway fully, saying they are willing to engage in discussions on safer, targeted security measures that do not infringe on constitutional rights. Residents vowed to escalate their protests if the curfew and roadblocks are not lifted in the coming weeks, setting the stage for a renewed national conversation on balancing security and civil liberties in the coastal county.