- Kenyan President William Ruto has announced he will not sign a finance bill that proposes new taxes following deadly protests across the country.
- The bill was intended to raise funds to repay the debt but faced widespread opposition from Kenyans already struggling with economic hardship.
- The military was deployed following protests on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Ruto denouncing the actions as “an act of treason”.
Kenyan President William Ruto said on Wednesday he would not sign a finance bill proposing new taxes, a day after protesters stormed parliament and shot several people dead, the biggest attack on the Kenyan government in decades.
The government wanted to raise funds to repay debts, but Kenyans complained the bill would cause further economic pain at a time when millions are struggling to make ends meet. Tuesday’s unrest prompted the government to deploy the military, and Ruto called the protests an “act of treason.”
The president now says the bill caused “widespread dissatisfaction” and that he has listened and “gave in.” It’s a major setback for Ruto, who came to power promising to help Kenyans cope with soaring prices. But much of the country, particularly young people, are united in opposition to his latest reform attempt.
Kenyan protesters vow to continue demonstrations after violent clashes leave 23 dead
“We need to talk about how we work together as a nation to manage the country’s problems,” he said.
Edith Wanjiku (left) cries as she looks at the body of her son who was reportedly shot dead by police during Tuesday’s protests at a funeral home in Nairobi, Kenya, June 26, 2024. Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday he would not sign a finance bill proposing new taxes, a day after protesters stormed parliament and shot several people dead. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Kenyans faced tear gas and the smell of military force wafting through the streets a day after the latest wave of protests saw thousands storm parliament, in what President Ruto called an “existential threat”. Rights groups have accused police of killing at least 22 people and shooting several others.
Prime Minister Ruto confirmed the deaths and offered his condolences, calling it a “tragic incident”. He said about 200 people were injured.
There have been protests in Nairobi before but activists warned this latest one was more dangerous. Despite calls for more protests at the presidential palace on Thursday, President Ruto vowed on Tuesday to quell the unrest “at all costs”.
“We are dealing with a new phenomenon and group of people that we cannot predict. If this were normal protests, it would subside over time, but we don’t know if these people will fear the military,” said Herman Manyola, an analyst and professor at the University of Nairobi.
Five confirmed dead as police open fire on protesters attempting to storm Kenya’s parliament
He said the president missed an opportunity to take a more conciliatory approach in his address to the nation on Tuesday night.
Kenya’s High Court on Wednesday ordered the military deployment suspended following a challenge by the Kenya Law Association.
Kenyans banded together across tribes and other lines to block the passage of a finance bill that would have increased taxes and fees on everyday goods and services, from imported eggs to bank transfers.
There were no reports of violence on Wednesday, but there was fear. Civil society groups have reported kidnappings of people involved in recent protests and expect more to come. The High Court has ordered police to release all those arrested at protests. Ruto said those allegedly kidnapped have either been released or are being tried in court.
Many young people who embraced Ruto’s promises of economic relief and helped him win power in 2022 now oppose the pain that comes with the reforms. Parts of parliament were set on fire on Tuesday and clashes broke out in several areas outside the capital.
Kenyan President William Ruto delivers a speech at the Presidential Villa in Nairobi, Kenya on June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)
The Kenya National Human Rights Commission said at least 22 people were killed. Commission chair Roselyn Odede said 300 others were injured and 50 people had been arrested.
Edith Wanjiku, the mother of the slain teenager, told reporters at the mortuary that her 19-year-old son was unarmed and the officer who shot him should be charged with murder.
“He had just finished school and was protesting peacefully,” she said.
Parliament, City Hall and the Supreme Court were sealed off with “Crime Scene No Trespassing” tape. Authorities said police fired more than 700 rounds in the air overnight to disperse protesters in the Nairobi suburb of Githurai.
“All I ask of the president is that he listen to our voices and understand that this financial bill they are trying to pass is not as important as people’s lives,” said Gideon Hamisi, a Nairobi businessman. “So many young people lost their lives yesterday. I am a young man and I am deeply saddened by what has happened.”
Opposition leader Raila Odinga said the Kenyan constitution had been suspended and called for dialogue. “Kenya cannot afford to kill children because they want food, jobs and someone to listen,” he said in a statement.
Nairobi County officials stand in front of the governor’s office, which was burnt during yesterday’s protest against proposed tax increases in the Finance Bill, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
In Nairobi, a regional hub for expats and home to the United Nations, inequality among Kenyans is deepening along with long-standing resentment over state corruption. A burgeoning young population is also unhappy with the lavish lifestyles of politicians, including the president. Some of Ruto’s most ardent supporters, who rose to power portraying himself as a “hustler” from a poor family, feel betrayed.
Young people, commonly referred to as Generation Z, organized protests to try to stop lawmakers from approving the finance bill on Tuesday, giving Governor Ruto two weeks to sign the bill into law.
Opposition Senator Edwin Sifuna wrote in X newspaper that the president’s concession was “self-protection” by a leader worried about his reputation.
The incident marks a major turning point for Ruto, who has been hailed as a welcome partner by the United States in Africa at a time of growing resentment towards the United States and other Western nations in other parts of the continent.
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In May, Ruto became the first African leader in 16 years to visit Washington officially. On Tuesday, amid intensifying protests, the United States designated Kenya its first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a largely symbolic move that also underscores the two countries’ security partnership. Also on Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan police were deployed to lead a multinational force fighting Haitian gangs, an effort that drew gratitude from U.S. President Joe Biden.
Now the Kenyan government, along with the protesters, is facing calls for calm from partners, including the United States, which on Tuesday issued a statement along with 12 other countries expressing “deep concern” about the violence and abductions.
“How did we get to this point?” Kenya’s Vice President, Ligaty Gachagua, said in national television on Wednesday in response to the president’s change of policy, openly questioning how her government had become so unpopular in just two years. “We were the favourites of the Kenyan people.”
