Kenya | A new demonstration leads to some scuffles

(Nairobi) A few hundred people gathered in Nairobi for a new demonstration against the government, sparse and punctuated by a few clashes, the day after the withdrawal of the draft budget which had brought Kenyan youth into the streets and turned into a disaster. blood Tuesday.

On Wednesday, President William Ruto gave in to the demands of young demonstrators and withdrew the unpopular draft budget which provided for numerous taxes, first on bread, then on fuel.

In the capital Nairobi, the business centre did not see the mobilisation of previous days and the large deployment of police and army clearly dissuaded many young people from protesting.

Some scuffles broke out between small groups throwing stones or trying to attack businesses, and the police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, AFP journalists noted.

“I’m disappointed. I’m going home. This is not our protest, this is not Generation Z. [jeunes nés après 1997, NDLR]”Generation Z, we are peaceful, we come with phones and flags. Today it wasn’t about Generation Z, they are just thugs,” lamented Daniel, a 23-year-old computer science student who did not want to give his last name.

Roads leading to many official buildings, the presidential palace and parliament, had been blocked as a precaution two days after protesters stormed parliament.

Demonstrations also took place in opposition strongholds of Mombasa (east) and Kisumu (west), bringing together several hundred people.

Tuesday, after the first two days of mobilization without major clashes to protest against new taxes planned by Mr. Ruto in his 2024-25 budget proposal, the demonstration in Nairobi degenerated near Parliament. Some buildings were burned and ransacked and the crowds were harshly repressed.

According to several NGOs, the police fired live ammunition to contain the demonstrators who forced the security checkpoints to enter the National Assembly and Senate complex, an unprecedented attack in the history of Kenya, which has been independent since 1963.

After two deaths on June 20 in Nairobi, the toll from Tuesday’s protests was 22 people killed, including 19 in Nairobi, and more than 300 injured, said the Kenyan human rights body (KNHRC).

” Scary ”

According to AFP journalists, most of the demonstrators present on Thursday were men.

“It looks scary outside,” said Margaret, 26, of why she did not go out to demonstrate after participating in the previous three days of action. She preferred not to mention her last name and said: “The soldiers came out in large numbers.”

Beyond the draft budget, the protest movement has transformed into a broader denunciation of the policies of William Ruto, elected in 2022 with the promise of promoting redistribution to the working classes.

On Wednesday, a figure in the protest movement, journalist and activist Hanifa Adan, called for protests to be held again on Thursday during a “peaceful” silent march in memory of the victims.

A few hours later, William Ruto, who the day before had stated that he wanted to firmly repress “violence and anarchy”, finally announced the withdrawal of the budget project, and said he wanted a national consultation with young people.

An announcement immediately described as a “com operation” by Hanifa Adan, and greeted with suspicion by a number of demonstrators, like Lucky, 27, who says he does not “trust Ruto”.

Debt

The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday demanded that responsibilities be “clearly” established following the deaths of protesters.

The government justifies the new taxes by the weight of the debt: “How can we manage our debt situation together? asked William Ruto after capitulating on the draft budget. According to him, there is a lack of money in particular to finance programs for farmers and teachers.

Kenya’s public debt stands at around 10,000 billion shillings (CAN 104 billion), or around 70% of GDP. The 2024-25 budget forecast 4,000 billion shillings (CAN 43 billion) in spending, a record.