Protesters returned to the streets of Kenya on Thursday, some of them demanding the resignation of President William Ruto, despite his announcement the previous day that he would abandon a tax bill that sparked large-scale demonstrations in which nearly two were killed. dozens of people.
In Nairobi, the capital, the crowd was much smaller than on Tuesday, when tens of thousands of protesters flooded the city center as lawmakers debated and approved controversial legislation. The demonstration turned violent when people broke into the building and set parts of it on fire. Human rights groups say at least 23 people were killed and more than 300 injured when police used tear gas and bullets against them.
On Thursday, a heavy police and military presence was visible throughout the capital, with officers in cars, trucks and on horseback guarding the roads leading to Parliament, the president’s official residence and several downtown streets. Much of the central business district remained closed as police officers chased and tear-gassed smaller crowds waving white roses.
Some activists and opposition political leaders had urged the protesters not to march towards the president’s official residence in Nairobi on Thursday fearing more bloodshed. But others said the killings, shootings and kidnappings of those opposed to tax increases in recent days – which activists said were some of the bloodiest days in Kenya’s recent history – would not deter them from pressuring Ruto to to resign.
“We will be on these streets until Ruto leaves,” said John Kimani, 25, who was protesting in Nairobi. “No one can tell us otherwise.”
Until the president’s announcement on Wednesday that he would not sign the finance bill, Ruto had defended his measures as necessary to raise revenues and prevent a debt default for a country whose government owes billions of dollars to its creditors. .
As protesters gathered Tuesday for what they called “Occupy Parliament” and some stormed the legislative building, Ruto called their activities “betrayal” and said he would deploy the military to support police in quelling the protests.
That decision to send the armed forces has been described as unconstitutional, and the The Law Society of Kenya is suing to end it.
“The president has not respected the general will of the people,” said Jimmy Magero, a protester in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold city on the shores of Lake Victoria. “He cannot rule us by force if we say enough is enough.”
Youth-led protests in Kenya began last week, with opponents arguing the bill would dramatically increase the cost of living. Even as Ruto’s ruling coalition scrapped some of the proposed new taxes, many activists and opposition lawmakers in Parliament rejected the bill.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura called on Kenyans to stop marching in the streets on Thursday. “Let’s not help those who do not want the best for our country by organizing protests to destabilize us,” he said. said in a statement. “Kenya is the only country we have.”
But many were not deterred.
In Kisumu, dozens of protesters tried to reach the president’s residence but were repulsed by police. Most shops in central Kisumu were closed as traffic stopped and police set up barricades to prevent protesters from gaining access to some main streets.
Similar protests broke out in the port city of Mombasa, where protesters chanted: “Ruto must go.” Protesters also blocked the Migori-Kisii highway in the west of the country, burning tires and throwing stones at police.
About 50 young Kenyans had been kidnapped on Wednesday, according to the Kenya Law Society, an umbrella organization for the country’s lawyers. On Thursday, some of those kidnapped had been released by law enforcement officials, but several others have missingsaid Law Society President Faith Odhiambo.
The country’s vice president, Rigathi Gachagua, has blamed the spiral of violence on the National Intelligence Service. On Wednesday afternoon he claimed the agency failed to adequately inform the president about the anger in the streets and called on its director, Noordin Haji, to resign.
But observers said the ongoing protests arose from public anger that has been rising against Ruto since he took office in 2022.
Despite campaigning on a platform to alleviate the challenges faced by the poor, the Ruto government has raised taxes, removed subsidies and increased electricity costs. It has also introduced several payroll taxes that courts have suspended or deemed unconstitutional.
After Mr Ruto withdrew the bill on Wednesday, the IMF said was “committed to working together with Kenya to chart a course towards strong, sustainable and inclusive growth.”
Still, protesters in Kenya found another defender of their anger against the IMF: Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. the congresswoman said Wednesday that the “austerity conditions recommended by the IMF have contributed to the economic difficulties faced by Kenyan citizens.”
He added: “These measures often disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations.”
Odera Wycliffe contributed reporting from Kisumu and Mohamed Ahmed from Mombasa.