Tuesday, July 02, 2024

Anti-government protests clash with riot police in Kenya

Kenya ant-riot police beat a protester in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. -
Copyright © africanewsHenry Naminde/


KENYA

Protests continued in Kenya's capital and elsewhere Tuesday over a finance bill that would raise the cost of living, even after the president said he would not sign it in the wake of the storming of parliament last week.

Police fired tear gas at protesters in Nairobi as many businesses remained closed for fear of looting.

The main highway to Kenya's second largest city, Mombasa, was closed as protesters lit bonfires.

While there are concerns that President William Ruto might change his mind and sign the finance bill before next week's deadline, some protesters are calling on Ruto to resign, accusing him of bad governance.

One of those protesting is Rogers Oloo, 26 homeless, unemployed and with nothing to lose apart from a bird of prey he found abandoned and who has been with him for the past three months after he found it abandoned.

Like his bird whom he has named Johnson, Oloo lost his mother in 2011 and began living on the streets the same year.

He is frustrated with how Kenya's government is operating.

"If this is what the government is doing to us, (Kenyan President William) Ruto should leave. He is supposed to listen to common citizens," he said.

In a recent protest against the government, he was hit in the head by a rubber bullet.

He expressed his dissatisfaction with how the police are managing the demonstrations.

"This is not fair, they should just use teargas if they must, but now they are using bullets, do they want to kill us?" he said.

The two weeks of protests have left 39 people dead, according to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission.

Ruto on Sunday put that number at 19.

The president has offered to have dialogue with Kenyan youth and has promised budget cuts on travel and hospitality for his office in line with some protesters’ demands.

As unemployment remains high and prices rise, there has been outrage over the luxurious lives of the president and other senior officials.

Members of the youthful but leaderless protest movement have said they do not trust the president to implement his new austerity plans.

Kenya's main opposition party on Tuesday called on Ruto's government to take responsibility for the deaths that occurred last week.

Why news about Kenya is trending in Africa

Screenshot of protesters from YouTube video, ‘Kenya anti-tax protests: Where do things go from here?‘ by DW News. Fair use.

A lot has been happening in Kenya lately, from the controversial deployment of 1,000 troops to Haiti to deadly demonstrations fueled by the passage of a finance bill that proposed tax hikes.

With rising taxes and the increasing cost of living, tensions among Kenyans have been simmering since the beginning of the year. However, the current chaos began on June 25, when lawmakers passed the contentious bill, as noted by Al Jazeera. After the vote was announced, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest the bill proposed by parliament, with some protesters storming the Kenyan parliament and setting sections of it on fire. The protests occurred in 35 of Kenya’s 47 counties.

Initially peaceful, the demonstrations quickly turned violent as police used tear gas and live ammunition on protesters. A CNN journalist, Larry Madowo, documented police shooting at protestors:

This escalation angered the protesters even more.

Unlike previous protests, this wave was predominantly led by young, urban-based, and was multi-ethnic in composition, as noted by The Conversation. Some of these young people went live on social media to share the incidents as they occurred:

The national rights watchdog said at least 39 people have been killed, yet protestors are not deterred. 

Although the protests led to an immediate reaction from the government, with President William Ruto withdrawing the bill a day later, it did not make much of a difference. As Sky News reportedthere are still ongoing tensions within the country.

Citizens are now calling for the resignation of President Ruto, and social media hashtags like #RutoMustGo have been created. The populace is angry not only because of the finance bill but also because of the inequalities and hardships they are facing. One user on X (formerly Twitter) said:

Citizens living abroad have also joined the demonstrations. Below is a group of demonstrators in Germany: 

There were also protests in the US state of Texas: 

As CBS News reported, Kenya has one of the fastest-growing economies in all of Africa. According to the World Bank, however, around one in six Kenyans lives below the international poverty line, with millions of people, especially in rural Kenya, living on the equivalent of just a few dollars.

According to Reuters, the country's public debt is currently 68 percent of GDP, which exceeds the 55 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recommended by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

With the introduction of the finance bill, the Kenyan government aimed to generate USD 2.7 billion in additional taxes to lower the budget deficit and reduce borrowing. The bill included new taxes on essential items like bread, vegetable oil, sugar, milk, diapers, and others, as well as a new motor vehicle circulation tax set at 2.5 percent of a car's value to be paid annually.

Speaking with Sky News about the root cause of this nationwide protest Yousra Elbagir, a Kenyan journalist, said:  

This bill is a symptom of a bigger issue and the protesters we spoke to today said that this isn't about a bill. This is about bad governance. I think the young people that are taking to the streets are incredibly aware. They're incredibly engaged and they feel like the government is is flagrantly overspending, showing off their excess. The MPS in Kenya are some of the highest paid in the world. Yet telling them to start their lives off on the back foot with facing these taxes and dealing with the unemployment that President Ruto himself said during his election campaign two years ago that he will actively worked to tackle.

Young people in other African countries are using social media to praise Kenyan citizens for their bravery and determination. They are also urging the youth in their own countries to emulate Kenyans’ boldness in protesting poor governance.

In this Tik Tok video which gained over a million views, user bigzaiire encourages the youth of Congo to follow the example of Kenya:

A Nigerian TikTok user shared his opinion: 

Under this YouTube video by a popular Ghanaian YouTuber, Kwadwo Sheldon, one comment read: “Ghana let's learn from Kenya…lets stop the NPP and NDC arguments and put Ghana first.” The NPP and NDC are the two dominant parties in Ghana's political landscape, but it seems the youth are growing frustrated with these parties that mostly gain power yet fail to address their needs. This has sparked a desire for a third political party

As activists gear up for a new round of protests this week, it seems the crisis in Kenya may not be over until the government addresses the concerns of its young people.Categories



'RutoMustGo': Kenya braces for fresh protests after dozens killed in anti-tax demos


Kenyan youths gestures at policemen as they march in memory of protesters killed during the nationwide deadly protest against a controversial now-withdrawn tax bill that left over 20 dead and shocked the East African nation, in Nairobi on 30 June 2024. (Simon Maina/AFP)

Kenya is experiencing significant unrest due to anti-tax hike demonstrations that have led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Despite President William Ruto's decision not to sign the controversial finance bill into law, activists continue to protest, demanding his unconditional resignation.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported that the protests have resulted in 39 deaths, 361 injuries, and numerous cases of excessive force by law enforcement

Kenya was bracing on Tuesday for fresh protest action against the government after anti-tax hike demonstrations last month descended into violence that left dozens of people dead.

Activists have stepped up their campaign against President William Ruto despite his announcement last week that he would not sign into law a controversial finance bill that triggered what he has branded "treasonous" protests.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said on Monday that 39 people had been killed and 361 injured during two weeks of demonstrations, and condemned the use of force against protesters as "excessive and disproportionate".

Largely peaceful rallies against a raft of tax increases - led by mostly young Gen-Z Kenyans on social media - turned into shocking scenes of deadly chaos on Tuesday last week when lawmakers passed the deeply unpopular legislation.



Kenyan youths arrive at the Kenyatta National Hospital to donate blood in memory of protesters killed during the nationwide deadly protest against a controversial now-withdrawn tax bill that left over 20 dead and shocked the East African nation, in Nairobi on 30 June 2024. 
(Simon Maina/AFP)

After the announcement of the vote, crowds ransacked the parliament complex in central Nairobi and it was partly set ablaze as police fired live bullets at protesters.

Ruto had said in a television interview on Sunday that 19 people had lost their lives, but defended his decision to call in the armed forces to tackle the unrest and insisted he did not have "blood on my hands".

It is the most serious crisis to confront the president since he took office in September 2022 following a deeply divisive election in a nation often considered a beacon of stability in a turbulent region.

Ruto's decision on Wednesday to reverse course and scrap the tax legislation has appeared not to have appeased his critics.

And despite him saying he was ready to talk with young Kenyans about their grievances, activists have vowed to pursue their protests, with leaflets posted on social media calling for more action this week.

READ | At least 30 killed in Kenya anti-government protests – Human Rights Watch

One leaflet with the hashtag" RutoMustGo" insisted, "We will not relent until William Ruto unconditionally resigns."

It declared both Tuesday and Thursday public holidays for an "OccupyEverywhere" movement and called on all Kenyans to stage sit-down protests on major roads in the country on those days.

'Unwarranted violence'


The state-funded KNCHR said Monday that in addition to the dead and injured in the previous protests, there had been 32 cases of "enforced or involuntary disappearances" and 627 arrests of protesters.

The KNCHR said:
The Commission continues to condemn in the strongest terms possible the unwarranted violence and force that was inflicted on protesters, medical personnel, lawyers, journalists and on safe spaces such as churches, medical emergency centres and ambulances.

It also said it "strongly condemns the violent and shocking acts of lawlessness that was exhibited by some of the protesters", including attacks on the parliament and other government buildings.


The body also highlighted what it said were "unacceptable" incidents of the "wanton destruction" of property linked to some politicians and threats and violence against them.

READ | Hundreds attend funeral of Ibrahim Kamau,19, killed in Kenya's anti-tax protests

Kenya's cash-strapped government had said previously that the tax increases were necessary to fill its coffers and service a massive public debt of some 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion), or about 70 percent of GDP.

Ruto had already rolled back some tax measures after the protests began, prompting the treasury to warn of a gaping budget shortfall of 200 billion shillings ($1.6 billion).

In Sunday's interview, Ruto warned that the government would have to borrow another $7.7 billion because of the decision to drop the finance bill.














Generation Z Is at the Forefront of a Powerful Uprising in Kenya

In response to an attempt by Kenya’s government to tax basic goods, a youth uprising has emerged that shows no signs of ending soon. Anti-imperialist youth internationally can strengthen the movement by showing solidarity with the protests and putting forward demands against the IMF and U.S. imperialism.

Samuel Karlin 
LEFT VOICE
July 1, 2024
Brian Inganga - Associated Press

Youth in Kenya are rising up in the face of extreme repression. Mass protests began spreading rapidly in response to President William Ruto’s attempt to pass a tax bill. The bill would have raised taxes on household essentials including sugar and cooking oil in compliance with austerity measures that the government is trying to implement in order to receive a loan from the predatory International Monetary Fund (IMF). In response, young Kenyans, proudly identifying as “Generation Z,” have organized a mass movement online. For now, this uprising is developing independently of Kenya’s traditional parties and institutions which would benefit from co-opting the movement out of the streets.

While Ruto’s tax bill incited the current uprising, the situation has escalated quickly due to the misery that youth in Kenya have been experiencing for years. According to the Federation of Kenya Employers, youth (classified by FKE as ages 15-34 years old) make up 35 percent of the country’s total population but 67 percent of the country’s unemployed. Exacerbating the economic situation, Kenya’s foreign and domestic debt make up 70 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. This has all contributed to a feeling among the large youth population that there are few prospects for their futures, and many struggle day to day.

It is no wonder then that Ruto’s attempt to address the country’s illegitimate imperialist debts by raising taxes on basic goods ended up being so explosive. Further fueling the youth’s anger was the government’s brutal response. The first protests, which included an occupation of parliament, were met with police firing tear gas and live bullets. Dozens of young people were massacred, and doctors and journalists were also attacked by the police. This, of course, further angered the youth and strengthened support for the protests from older generations and wider sectors of Kenyan society.

As outrage began to spread, Ruto sought to quell the uprising by promising to pull the tax bill, but young people have continued to protest, with many saying on social media that this was just a stalling tactic. There is widespread sentiment among young people online that the struggle needs to stay in the streets, and they are calling for Ruto to resign. Some sectors of the movement are even putting forward the demand that all members of parliament be recalled. In an attempt to fight against co-optation of the movement, some are calling for the occupation of churches to prevent capitalist politicians from speaking to large numbers of people.

Along with using influential institutions such as churches to try to co-opt the struggle in the streets, and promising “reforms,” the Kenyan state is resorting to severe measures to violently crush the protests. There have been reports of people being disappeared off the street, and police continue to use live ammunition. Snipers have also been deployed against the protesters.

With how rapidly and dynamically the protests and repression in Kenya are developing, people around the world should follow and amplify the struggle of the youth who are bravely rising up. It is especially relevant for anti-imperialists in the United States to follow the situation, because the U.S. government has recently been courting Kenya as a special partner for imperialist domination of Africa. Just two days before the protests began, President Joe Biden designated Kenya as a major non-NATO ally. President Ruto also visited the United States in May of this year, making him the first African head of state to be received by Washington with a formal state visit in more than 15 years. If U.S. imperialism is looking to Kenya as a strategic ally to maintain its dominance of Africa, the anti-imperialist youth in the United States, which has emerged in response to the genocide in Gaza, must see solidarity with the uprising in Kenya as strategic. If the Generation Z movement can maintain itself and unite with the country’s workers who have strategic power to withhold their labor that produces Kenya’s economy, this struggle could deal a powerful blow to the IMF by making it impossible for the state to implement austerity measures.

In solidarity with the uprising in Kenya, all young people around the world should amplify the protests taking place. We must also highlight the violent role of the IMF which makes oppressed countries from Kenya to Argentina suffer by forcing them to pay off illegitimate foreign debts. A victory for the movement in Kenya against the IMF could show the whole world that imperialism can be weakened, even in countries that have strategic relationships with the United States. Let the youth in Kenya inspire resistance to imperialism across the world.


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