Court declines to stop Rastafarian arrests over marijuana use

Members of the Rastafarian led by their prophet Wambua Mwendwa alongside their lawyer Shadrack Wambui at Milimani High Court during the hearing of their petition where they seeks to decriminalization of cannabis for spiritual use among Rastafarian faithful. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard]

The High Court has declined to stop government arrests of Rastafarian members over marijuana use pending the determination of a petition on the decriminalisation of cannabis for spiritual use on March 19, 2026.

Justice Bahati Mwamuye rejected an oral application by the Rastafarians to bar the police from further harassment, house searches, and arrests over cannabis (bhang) and directed them to file a formal application for protection and file evidence of continued victimization by police across the country.