NAIROBI, Kenya- Beneath portraits of Pan-African heroes and Ethiopia’s former emperor Haile Selassie I- whom they worship as God incarnate- members of Kenya’s Rastafarian community hold hands in prayer. Their petition is straightforward but historic: they want the High Court to grant them the legal right to smoke cannabis as a protected form of religious expression.
The High Court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on July 15, concluding a legal battle that has been ongoing since 2021. For Kenya’s Rastafarians, the verdict represents more than just a legal loophole for marijuana use; it is a definitive test of the country’s constitutional commitment to freedom of religion.
A Culture of Faith and Persecution
The Rastafari movement, which emerged in Jamaica during the 1930s, is deeply rooted in mystical, Pan-Africanist, and anti-colonialist ideologies. Adherents, easily recognizable by their long dreadlocks, practice strict vegetaranism and use marijuana- or ganja- as a sacrament for meditation.
While Kenya officially recognized Rastafarianism as a religion in 2019- after a court ruled that expelling a schoolgirl over her dreadlocks violated her rights- believers say daily life remains plagued by systemic harassment.
Under a strict 1994 narcotics law, possession of cannabis carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison alongside helfty fines. Local practitioners say police use the law to unfairly target them.
“Every time I walk on the street, someone will come and want to intimidate me and say, ‘Hey Rastaman, stop,'” says Moses Mudachi Isavwa, 50, who goes by his Rastafarian name, Ras Masinde.
Isavwa views his dreadlocks with immense pride, noting they connect him directly to the Mau Mau- the iconic freedom fighters who wore dreadlocks while battling British colonial rule. Yet, despite this storied history, Isavwa says the hairstyle remains a magnet for police persecution.
“I am fighting for the black men and women and children who have gone through persecution, they are rotting now in the dungeon… simply because they were found with maybe a spliff of ganja,” Isavwa said.
Community and Optimism in Kibera
The sentiment is echoed by Mwendwa Wambua, 55, known within the community as Ras Prophet. As the spokesperson for the Rastafari Society of Kenya, Wambua notes that law enforcement frequently violates their privacy.
“They come to your house and search you. They don’t want you to even have two spleens for smoking,” he said.
Despite the legal risks, Wambua notes that the movement is growing rapidly in Kenya, particularly among the youth.
In Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, a modest community center serves as both a place of worship and the headquarters for the Haile Selassie Foundation.
Named after the last Ethiopian Emperor- whom Rastafarians revere as a divine savior sent to redeem Black people- the foundation works to keep local youth out of crime. It provides vocational training in practical skills like weaving and beadwork, alongside religious education.
During a recent Saturday Sabbath celebration, a handful of devotees gathered at the foundation to sing, pray, and smoke. Though forced to practice their faith largely in the shadows, the atmosphere was thick with optimism ahead of the July 15 court date.
“Smoking weed and marijuana is part of our culture,” Wambua said. “We must therefore defend it.”
