June 25, 2024 will remain a key date in the history of Kenya, underlined, Wednesday June 26, the newspapers of this East African country, renowned for its economic dynamism and its relatively stable democracy. The day before, a largely peaceful crowd, unprecedented in its size and its youth, surged into major cities to voice its opposition to the new taxes in the finance law passed that day.
Read also | In Kenya, demonstrations turn into riots
Add to your selections
In Nairobi, the capital, against a backdrop of police violence, the rally turned into a riot against the symbols of power, with thousands of demonstrators managing to briefly enter Parliament. They started fires, threw flags to the ground, stole iPads and ransacked the cozy refreshment bar. Some representatives of the nation had no choice but to escape through a tunnel.
Since the demonstrations which began in mid-June, the entire Kenyan state has faced unprecedented mistrust, well beyond the 2024-2025 budget law. In the processions, signs depicted the deputies as “pigs”, who are among the highest paid parliamentarians in the world. The executive is not spared, especially President William Ruto, elected two years ago promising millions of jobs and a cheaper life.
This rich businessman, who started from nothing, has established himself as the incarnation of the “hustlers”, these small people of resourceful people who make up the bulk of the economy. But since coming to power in 2022, he has increased new taxes to deal with the debt (67% of GDP). To the point that the very pious Ruto is now nicknamed “Zakayo”, after Zacchaeus, a stubborn tax collector from the Bible. « Ruto must go » (“Ruto must go”), the demonstrators proclaim.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Presidential election in Kenya: William Ruto, self-proclaimed “resourceful” candidate
Add to your selections
” I bow “
On Wednesday, the president made them a major concession. He withdrew the contested law, already reduced by numerous measures (such as a 16% VAT on bread and a 2.5% tax on personal vehicles). “I bow and I will not promulgate the 2024 finance bill”, declared a solemn William Ruto, serious face and calm voice, surrounded by parliamentarians. “The country has witnessed widespread expression of dissatisfaction with the bill as passed, which has unfortunately resulted in loss of life and destruction of property,” he added.
The tone contrasts with that of the day before. Tuesday evening, the Head of State delivered a speech with military accents, evoking “serious threats to national security” and claiming that the demonstrations were infiltrated by “criminal organizations”. As army chief, Ruto had advocated firmness in the face “to violence and anarchy”. “He didn’t even mention the deaths, he didn’t talk about the targeted health workers”, laments Rohin Rajani, 30, who trades on the stock market online. He believes the president was on the path to being “labeled as a dictator”.
You have 57.56% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
