On Tuesday, dozens of Kenyans took to the streets under a heavy police presence, with many shops closed as youth activists called for new protests following last month’s deadly anti-tax hike demonstrations.
Despite President William Ruto’s announcement last week that he would not sign the controversial finance bill into law, activists have intensified their campaign against him, with Ruto labeling the protests as “treasonous.”
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported on Monday that 39 people had been killed and 361 injured during two weeks of demonstrations, condemning the use of force against protesters as “excessive and disproportionate.”
On Tuesday morning, Nairobi’s central business district, previously a protest hub, was quiet with police patrolling the area. Local politician John Kwenya expressed frustration over businesses closing, stating there was “no alarm” despite last Thursday’s looting incidents. He urged business owners to open but noted many were scared and had moved their goods from shops.
Elsewhere, larger crowds marched in the coastal opposition stronghold of Mombasa, with smaller rallies and heavy police presence in Kisumu, Nakuru, and Nyeri.
Largely peaceful rallies against tax increases, mostly led by Gen-Z Kenyans on social media, turned deadly last Tuesday when lawmakers passed the unpopular legislation. Protesters ransacked the parliament complex in Nairobi, setting parts ablaze as police fired live bullets.
Ruto, in a Sunday television interview, stated 19 people had died but defended his decision to call in the armed forces, insisting he did not have “blood on my hands.” This marks the most serious crisis Ruto has faced since taking office in September 2022.
Despite Ruto reversing the tax legislation, his critics remain unappeased. Activists continue to call for protests, with social media leaflets demanding Ruto’s resignation and declaring public holidays for the “OccupyEverywhere” movement.
The KNCHR reported 32 cases of “enforced or involuntary disappearances” and 627 arrests during the previous protests, condemning violence against protesters, medical personnel, lawyers, journalists, and safe spaces.
Kenya’s government had argued that tax increases were necessary to address a massive public debt of around $78 billion. Ruto warned that the decision to drop the finance bill would require the government to borrow an additional $7.7 billion.
