Kenya is in full social turmoil. For the past week, thousands of young people have been protesting across the country against the public finance bill introduced by President William Ruto’s administration. Aware of the scale of the movement, he finally said he was ready to dialogue with young people.
This bill, which provides for the implementation of new taxes, has triggered a wave of discontent among young Kenyans, who see their future prospects dwindling.
A difficult economic context
The Ruto administration justifies these new taxes by the need to revive a heavily indebted economy. In May, Kenya’s inflation rate reached 5.1% year-on-year, with significant increases in food and fuel prices. These new tax measures are seen by many young people as a betrayal of the government’s promise to reduce the cost of living. This frustration manifested itself in massive mobilizations, which began on social networks on June 18 and quickly spread throughout the country.
Largely peaceful protests
The protests, while largely peaceful, have been marked by sporadic violence. Last week, two young people lost their lives and around 200 people were injured, according to human rights organizations. Riot police responded with a violent crackdown, using tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters, including near parliament in Nairobi.
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A determined youth
Young Kenyans, determined to make themselves heard, continued their protest actions this Sunday, June 23. In Nairobi, in front of the Holy Family Basilica, around twenty young people gathered to defend their demands in front of the faithful. Kanana Koome, a student, spoke out to denounce the finance law: “This law provides for taxes that are too heavy for Kenyans. This creates a form of oppression, a poor quality of life for the people and for those who are not as fortunate as those in power. »
In Nyahururu, 200 kilometers north of Nairobi, where President Ruto was attending a Sunday mass, young people also gathered in protest. This is where President Ruto spoke publicly for the first time since the start of the movement. He praised the pacifism of young people and said he was ready to “dialogue with you, so that we can identify your problems and work together, as a nation”.
Call for dialogue and future perspectives
President Ruto has expressed his willingness to engage with young people to find solutions to their concerns. However, the leaders of the protest movement demanded that the president respond publicly to their letter of demands to prove his sincerity in this approach to dialogue.
The standoff between the government and Kenyan youth is not about to end. The demonstrators have already called for new mobilizations for the days to come, including a national call for a strike for June 25. The ball is now in President Ruto’s court, who will have to skillfully navigate between the need for economic reforms and the aspirations of young people seeking a better future.
