Members of Rastafarian communities in Kenya are advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana following a court ruling earlier this month that dismissed their petition seeking legal exemptions for the plant’s religious use.
Rastafari, an Afrocentric religion and social movement that emerged in the 1930s among marginalized communities in Jamaica, teaches that the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I is the messiah and God incarnate. Followers believe that consuming cannabis serves as a sacrament that facilitates meditation and spiritual connection with the divine. The religion gained broader global recognition through reggae music and has been legally recognized as a protected faith in Kenya since 2019. Adherents adopt titles such as Ras, meaning “head” or “chief” in Amharic, and follow practices including maintaining dreadlocks and adhering to plant-based diets as part of what they term “livity,” or righteous living.
In 2021, the Rastafari Society of Kenya filed a court petition requesting either exemptions from prosecution for cultivating and using cannabis as a sacrament or the creation of a legal framework permitting the practice. The petition argued that existing drug laws violated followers’ constitutional rights to religious freedom and equality. The court rejected the petition on 15 July, determining that the society had failed to demonstrate that the law unconstitutionally infringed upon their rights. Leadership within the Kenyan Rastafarian community has indicated plans to appeal the decision to a higher court.
Followers interviewed expressed frustration with their marginalized status in Kenya, noting that despite legal recognition, cultural stigma persists. Some communities globally have achieved greater success with decriminalization efforts; in 2023, Antigua and Barbuda approved provisions allowing Rastafarians to cultivate cannabis and use it ceremonially. Kenyan advocates continue calling for similar legal accommodations in their country, framing the issue as fundamental to religious practice and cultural autonomy.
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