Kenya’s highest court has rejected a petition seeking to permit the use of cannabis for religious purposes by Rastafarians, ending a legal challenge brought by members of the community. The ruling, delivered yesterday, upholds the country’s strict drug laws, which currently prohibit the possession and use of cannabis.

Wanjiru Gakuru, a 60-year-old Rastafarian practitioner with over three decades of adherence to the faith, criticized the decision, describing Kenya’s drug policies as oppressive to religious freedom. “When it comes to religion, the country is deaf and doesn’t want us to enjoy our religious rights,” Gakuru said following the court’s judgment.

Under Kenyan law, possession of cannabis carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison. The prohibition applies broadly, without exemptions for religious or spiritual use.

In response to the court’s dismissal, Rastafarian adherents gathered at Freedom Corner, a public space in Nairobi, to express their dissent. Participants chanted, beat drums, and openly smoked cannabis in a demonstration of both cultural identity and protest against the ruling.

The case highlighted ongoing tensions between religious freedoms and drug control policies in Kenya. While Rastafarians argue that cannabis is a sacrament essential to their faith, the government maintains stringent regulations aimed at curbing drug abuse and trafficking within the country.