Protests persisted in Kenya’s capital and other areas on Tuesday over a finance bill aimed at increasing the cost of living, despite the president’s declaration that he would not sign it following last week’s storming of parliament.
Police deployed tear gas against demonstrators in Nairobi, leading many businesses to shut down due to fears of looting. The main highway to Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city, was blocked as protesters set bonfires.
Amid worries that President William Ruto may still sign the finance bill before next week’s deadline, some protesters are also calling for his resignation and accusing him of poor governance.
Jo Mombasa osemoke. They won't believe.#OccupyCBDTuesday #Maandamano #GovtShutDown pic.twitter.com/I44Vs7Dt8P
— Gabriel Oguda-(commentary) (@Gabriell_Oguda) July 2, 2024Some youth protest organizers are concerned that the unrest is being exploited to incite violence. “Goons have infiltrated,” wrote Hanifa Farsafi, a protest organizer, on social media platform X on Tuesday.
The previous week’s protests turned deadly when police opened fire, resulting in 39 deaths over the two weeks of unrest, according to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission. President Ruto reported 19 fatalities as of Sunday.
President Ruto has offered to engage in dialogue with Kenyan youth and has pledged to cut travel and hospitality budgets for his office, aligning with some protesters’ demands. However, high unemployment and rising prices have fueled anger over the luxurious lifestyles of the president and senior officials.
Youthful members of the leaderless protest movement expressed skepticism about the president’s commitment to his new austerity measures.
Kenya’s main opposition party on Tuesday urged Ruto’s government to take responsibility for last week’s deaths.
Economist Ken Gichinga told The Associated Press that the government should consider a different approach to tax reforms to stimulate economic growth.
“The Gen Zs are the most affected by unemployment,” Gichinga said.
