Nairobi is plagued by clashes between police and demonstrators who came to protest against a proposed budget introducing new taxes. Called “Occupy Parliament”, the movement has already mobilized thousands of Kenyan citizens in several cities across the country.
Flags, whistles and vuvuzelas against rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons: the police tried on Tuesday to disperse the gathering of thousands of people in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, for the third day of an anti-government mobilization led by youth. Demonstrations were also held, without any police opposition, in several other cities in the country, notably in the opposition strongholds of Mombasa (east) and Kisumu (west), in Eldoret (west), a large city in the Rift Valley. , President William Ruto’s home region, Nyeri (southwest) and Nakuru (central), according to local media.
In the central business district (CBD) of Nairobi, the demonstrators – mainly young people came with Kenyan flags, whistles or vuvuzelas and chanting “We are peaceful” – came up against a significant police presence, notably blocking access to Parliament, where the controversial budget project which sparked the protest is currently under debate. The police, deployed in large numbers with also water cannons and mounted police, first kept them at bay with tear gas, then rubber bullets, AFP journalists noted. “It is not a crime to gather in the streets. I was here this morning, I saw unprofessional police forces, (…) they are brutalizing innocent citizens, without weapons and who are only expressing themselves”was indignant Kennedy Sankara, 26, who came to demonstrate against the draft budget which he considers “draconian”.
“We are not afraid of anything”
The movement called «Occupy Parliament» (“Occupy Parliament”) was launched on social networks shortly after the presentation to Parliament on June 13 of the 2024-2025 budget providing for the introduction of new taxes, including a VAT of 16% on bread and an annual tax of 2.5% on private vehicles. Despite the government’s announcement on June 18 that it was withdrawing most of the planned measures, the movement quickly mobilized beyond the “Generation Z” (young people born after 1997), morphing into a broader protest against President Ruto’s policies. The head of state said he was ready to dialogue with young people on Sunday.
Moody Kimwele, 41, came with his 15-year-old son to the Nairobi demonstration to denounce the growing burden of taxes since the start of the Ruto presidency in September 2022. “What did they do with the money? Can they account for the money they used in the last financial year? We don’t see anything of what they collected”he believes. “We are not afraid of anything”says Stephanie Wangari, unemployed 24 years old: “Ruto never kept his promises, even to provide employment to the youth. We are tired. Let him go”.
Risk of escalation
This mobilization was marked by the death of two people in Nairobi. Several dozen others were injured by police, who also made hundreds of arrests. “Despite mass arrests and injuries, the demonstrations continued to grow, highlighting the widespread discontent of the population”underlined Monday in a press release Amnesty International Kenya, warning of a risk “escalation (which) could lead to more deaths”. Amnesty and the NGO Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) have accused the authorities of carrying out kidnappings of activists. Kenyan police spokesperson Resila Onyango did not respond to requests from AFP about these accusations.
The draft budget must be voted on in Parliament before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The demonstrators are demanding the complete withdrawal of the text, denouncing the sleight of hand of the government which announced the withdrawal of certain tax measures but plans to compensate them with others, in particular a 50% increase in taxes on fuel. For the government, these taxes are necessary to restore room for maneuver to the country, which is heavily in debt. Kenya, an East African country of around 52 million inhabitants, is an economic powerhouse in the region. But the country recorded inflation of 5.1% year-on-year in May, with an increase in food and fuel prices of 6.2% and 7.8% respectively, according to the Central Bank.
