In the period 2023–2024, Kenya witnessed an upsurge in youth-led protests that significantly challenged state legitimacy and governance. This article explores the dilemma in which the state is split between viewing the protests as legitimate expressions of peaceful dissent and perceiving them as threats to national security that necessitate the use of significant force to deter. Using the human security and bottom-up peacebuilding frameworks, it analyses the Kenyan state’s response to recent youth-led protests, examining the impact of securitisation of the protests on peace and stability, and recommending actions that may engender the re-imagining of state-youth engagement for a better Kenya. Through identified practice and policy recommendations, it aims to balance the civic rights of the youth with the security needs of the state. Read more