For the first time in Kenya’s 61 years of independence, angry protesters stormed Parliament in Nairobi yesterday, causing massive destruction after lawmakers defied calls to reject the Finance Bill 2024, which seeks to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes for the government.
At least five people were shot dead by the police and more than 31 others were injured in the violent confrontation, according to Amnesty International.
Uhuru said he was deeply saddened by the loss of lives, calling on the current administration to listen to the people to avert more loss of life.
“I come to you with a heavy heart. Saddened by the loss of lives occasioned by the current situation prevailing in our country. It is the right of every Kenyan to protest as determined as determined by the constitution we all promulgated in 2010. It is also the duty of leaders to listen to those they lead,” the former Kenyan Head of State stated.
“Leaders must know that power and authority they have is donated to them by the people. I therefore call for calm and for the leadership to show restraint and do the right thing by listening to the people and not be antagonistic to them. Violence on either side is not the answer,” he added.
As a former president, Uhuru said he had felt the weight and the difficulty of leading Kenya and called for wisdom and civility to navigate the current crisis.
“Dear Kenyans, I stand with you and I ask our leadership to embrace dialogue and speak to the people and not at the people. I pray for peace and understanding on the part of each and every Kenyan and for all of us to remember that Kenya is bigger than one of us; there is nothing cast in stone that cannot be changed,” Uhuru added.
Odinga, on his part, urged the state to “stop murdering Kenya’s children.”
He said Ruto’s administration had refused to listen to the cries of Kenyans on high taxation and is instead pushing through additional taxes amid the high cost of living.
“Matters that should have been resolved through dialogue and humility have degenerated into developments that have never been witnessed in the 61-year history of our country since Independence,” Odinga stated.
“I am deeply troubled by the violent and deadly crackdown on young, peaceful protesters exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”
The former Kenyan Prime Minister called on Ruto’s government to suspend the Finance Bill and pave the way for dialogue with the young people, “Gen Z,” who comprised the majority of the protesters.
“Kenya cannot afford to kill its children just because the children are asking for food, jobs and a listening ear. This Bill is neither an emergency nor a life-and-death matter for the government and Kenyans,” he noted.
“Kenyans will recall that when there was a standoff in the last Parliament over calls for the reduction of tax on petroleum products from 16 per cent to 8 per cent, the then Jubilee government agreed to suspend that provision and fell back on the old Finance Act until a consensus was reached. The same can happen today, with the government suspending the current Finance Bill and continuing with the Finance Act of last year.”
He urged the East African Community, the African Union and the United Nations to immediately be seized of the unfolding situation in Kanya to save lives and the country.
“I mourn with the families that have lost loved ones and stand with them in the ongoing struggle for Justice and economic liberation,” he added.
President Ruto on Tuesday night termed the protests as treasonous and labelled the protesters as dangerous criminals. He vowed to crack down on the “organisers and financiers of the protests” to prevent a repeat of the same.
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The Finance Bill 2024 is the latest in a series of measures aimed at maintaining Kenya’s creditworthiness in international markets. Currently, the country’s debt burden stands at 68% of GDP, which exceeds the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s recommended threshold of 55% of GDP.
Pressure from Kenyans last week saw the Head of State allow several amendments. These included the withdrawal of proposed 16% VAT on bread, a 2.5% motor vehicle tax increase, and a hike in the tax on mobile money transfers from 15% to 20%.
Additionally, the proposal to introduce a Ksh150 per kilogram eco-tax on plastic packaging materials, batteries, and hygiene products such as diapers and sanitary pads was dropped.
Other taxes that remain untouched include proposals to increase import taxes from 2.5% to 3% of the item’s value, payable by the importer at the port, as well as a 16% tax on goods and services intended for the direct and exclusive use in the construction and equipping of specialized hospitals with a minimum bed capacity of 50. Kenyans have expressed concerns that the latter could lead to higher costs for accessing critical health services such as cancer treatment, diabetes care, kidney dialysis, and other chronic illnesses.
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