Members of the House of Nyabinghi, a denomination of Rastafari, gathered for a weekly communal gathering in Nairobi’s Kibera neighborhood following a significant legal setback. Earlier in July, a Kenyan court dismissed a petition seeking to decriminalize marijuana use for religious purposes, prompting discussions within the faith community about their next steps.
Rastafari is an Afrocentric religion and social movement that emerged in the 1930s within Jamaican communities after religious leaders interpreted the crowning of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I as fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Adherents believe Haile Selassie I represents the divine and view concepts such as Babylon, representing Western capitalism and imperialism, as oppressive systems. The faith gained global prominence through reggae music and artists inspired by its teachings. While Kenya recognized Rastafari as a legally protected religion in 2019, the population of followers in the country remains undocumented.
Within Rastafari tradition, marijuana holds religious significance as a sacrament believed to facilitate meditative states and deeper spiritual connection. Followers hold that consuming the plant is integral to their spiritual practice. In response to Kenya’s drug laws, the Rastafari Society of Kenya filed a court petition in 2021 requesting either exemption from arrest and prosecution related to cultivation and use of the plant for religious purposes, or creation of a legal framework permitting the practice. The court’s July dismissal stated the society had not demonstrated the law unconstitutionally violated their rights.
Followers expressed determination to appeal the decision and continue advocacy. Spokespersons for the faith community emphasized that they seek integration within legal systems while defending their religious freedoms and cultural identity. Some cited the 2023 decision by Antigua and Barbuda to permit Rastafarians to cultivate and use cannabis as a reference point for potential policy approaches elsewhere.
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