Kenyan president caves in to protesters, rejects finance bill

Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday he won’t sign into law a finance bill proposing new taxes, a day after protesters stormed parliament and several people were shot dead. The protest was the biggest Kenya has witnessed in decades.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the government wanted to raise funds to pay off debt, but Kenyans said the bill would cause more economic pain as millions struggle to get by. The chaos on Tuesday led the government to deploy soldiers to disperse protesters.

Mr Ruto earlier called protesters’ actions “treasonous,” saying they would ensure a “situation of this nature does not recur again.”

In declining assent to the proposed legislation, the president now says the bill caused “widespread dissatisfaction” and he has listened and “conceded.”

“It is necessary for us to have a conversation as a nation on how to manage the affairs of the country together,” he said.

Human rights groups say at least 22 protesters were killed and scores more wounded on the streets of Kenya. Members of the protest movement, led largely by young Kenyans, vowed in social media posts before Mr Ruto’s Wednesday remarks to return to the streets on Thursday for another day of demonstrations.

“You cannot kill all of us,” activist Hanifa Adan said on X. “Tomorrow we march peacefully again as we wear white, for all our fallen people. You will not be forgotten!”

It was not immediately clear whether the protests planned for Thursday would go ahead given Mr Ruto’s decision not to sign the finance bill.

“Sovereignty belongs to the people,” Caroline Giathi, one of the protesters, told PREMIUM TIMES, saying they have already seen the results of their efforts. “Now, we are demanding justice for everyone massacred. They are killing so many people.”

Mr Ruto acknowledged deaths, calling it an “unfortunate situation,” and offered condolences. He said about 200 people had been wounded.

The protests started last week, initially against proposed sharp tax increases on staples including bread, cooking oil, and diapers. But the rallies that began peacefully turned violent with Mr Ruto alleging that “criminals hijacked the demonstrations.”