Rastafarians in Kenya would find out if the high court ruling later this month will be in their favour to smoke cannabis legally.
The landmark ruling on the lawsuit filed by the Rastafari Society of Kenya in 2021 to decriminalise the use of cannabis for “spiritual” purposes is due to be given on 15 July.
“Rastafari is our culture and smoking weed, or marijuana is a part of our culture. So, we have to defend it in the law of court,” said Mwendwa Wambua, aka Ras Prophet and spokesperson for the society.
While the movement is recognised in Kenya, a 1994 law makes possession of weed punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment and a substantial fine.
A member of the society, Moses Mudachi Isavwa, aka Ras Masinde, said they get into trouble with the authorities if they are found in possession of the plants.
“They arrest him and go and persecute him and throw him in a dungeon, in a prison, where there is murderers, thieves, rapists, people who have done all manners of evil. And Rasta man is a very peaceful man, you know, ” he said.
Rastas say their dreadlocks, a symbol of their faith, also attracts undue persecution from the authorities. Followers of the Rastafari movement identify as mystical, Pan-Africanist, anti-colonialist, and vegetarian.
While there are no official numbers of Rasta in Kenya, Wambua says the movement is growing, especially among young people.
Days before the ruling, devotees gathered at their modest meeting place in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements.
It also houses the Haile Selassie Foundation, named after the last Ethiopian emperor.
His coronation occurred around the time the Rastafari movement was forming in Jamaica in the 1930s, and members see him as a second Jesus Christ who came to save black people.
The foundation helps young people avoid crime by training them in practical skills like weaving or beadwork, and to teach them about their religion.
While they are still forced to mostly hide from the law, they are optimistic about the case, which has been ongoing since 2021.