Kenyan police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday as a nationwide demonstration against proposed tax hikes got underway. The organizers, advocating for economic justice, have called for protests and a general strike against the tax legislation, aiming to build on a movement that has quickly transformed from an online, youth-led campaign into a major challenge for the government.
The controversial finance bill, which aims to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes, is part of the government’s effort to address Kenya’s substantial debt burden. Currently, interest payments alone consume 37% of the nation’s annual revenue. President William Ruto, who won the election nearly two years ago on a platform of championing Kenya’s working poor, is now caught between the competing demands of international lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits, and a population struggling with rising living costs.
In the past week, thousands of Kenyans took to the streets of Nairobi and several other cities during two days of protests. Despite the predominantly peaceful nature of last week’s demonstrations, police repeatedly fired tear gas and water cannons. Human rights organizations reported two fatalities during these protests: one person was struck by a gunshot, and another by a tear gas canister.
On Tuesday, police fired tear gas as small groups of protesters began to gather in the Central Business District and the informal settlement of Kibera. Some of the protesters were heard chanting anti-Ruto slogans, expressing their frustration and anger at the government’s policies. In the coastal city of Mombasa, hundreds of protesters marched through the streets, as shown by local television broadcasts.
The main association of Kenyan lawyers issued a statement on Monday, condemning the police for unlawfully detaining and holding at least five people involved in the protests incommunicado over the last 72 hours. Despite multiple requests for comment, a police spokesperson did not respond. However, in remarks made on Sunday, President Ruto praised the peaceful nature of the protests and expressed the government’s willingness to engage with the demonstrators on the way forward.
While the initial focus of the protests was the finance bill, the scope of the demands has broadened. Last week, many demonstrators were heard chanting, “Ruto must go!” indicating a growing dissatisfaction with the president’s leadership. In response to the public outcry, the government has made some concessions, promising to remove proposed new taxes on essential items such as bread, cooking oil, car ownership, and financial transactions.
Despite these concessions, protesters remain unsatisfied, calling for the entire bill to be scrapped. On Tuesday afternoon, lawmakers are scheduled to debate the amendments to the finance bill. The finance ministry has warned that these amendments would create a 200 billion Kenyan shilling ($1.56 billion) gap in the 2024/25 budget, which would compel the government to make significant spending cuts or raise taxes in other areas.
As the debate continues, the government faces a challenging balancing act. On one hand, it needs to address the fiscal demands of international lenders and manage the national debt. On the other hand, it must respond to the growing public discontent and the demands of a population struggling with the high cost of living. The outcome of this debate will likely have significant implications for the country’s economic future and the political landscape.
