By Burnett Munthali
Analysts said that although the finance bill was the trigger, the protests are now about widespread dissatisfaction with the government, and protesters in Nairobi told Al Jazeera they want the president to resign. Police clashed with demonstrators in Nairobi, spraying tear gas and using rubber bullets.
The Finance Bill 2024, passed on Tuesday 25 June by the Kenyan parliament by a 195-106 majority, aimed to raise an additional $ 2.7 billion in taxes as part of the government’s effort to lighten Kenya’s heavy debt load.
The finance bill was meant to raise or introduce taxes or fees on a range of daily items and services including internet data, fuel, bank transfers and diapers. Some measures were stripped as anger grew. The proposals was part of the Kenyan government’s efforts to raise an extra $2.7 billion in domestic revenue.
Kenya’s president came to power by appealing to the common people, describing himself as a “hustler” and vowing relief from economic pain. But when he was forced to give up on a controversial tax hike that led to deadly chaos in the capital, Nairobi, it was a clear sign that support for him has turned.
Protesters who opposed a law that would have raised taxes stormed parliament, burning part of the building as lawmakers fled. Bodies lay in the streets, and medical workers and watchdogs said police had opened fire. The military was deployed.
President William Ruto pushed the law through parliament despite opposition from the youth-led protest movement, and called protesters “treasonous” after they stormed parliament. But on Wednesday, 26th June 2024, with troops in the capital’s streets and the smell of tear gas lingering in the air, he conceded that the plan had caused “widespread dissatisfaction” and said he would not sign the bill.
