Unrest escalates again in Kenya

Police in Kenya have deployed tear gas to disperse protesters who are calling on President William Ruto to resign
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Nationwide protests broke out a month ago over proposed tax hikes

Kenya experienced further unrest on Tuesday in the capital, Nairobi, and other regions. Police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters, who persist in demanding the resignation of President William Ruto.

Nationwide protests that erupted a month ago over proposed tax increases, have continued unabated even after President Ruto withdrew the tax bill on June 26 and dismissed almost his entire cabinet on July 11. 

Alleged poor governance, corruption, as well as the deaths of demonstrators at previous rallies, are among the concerns of protesters. On Tuesday, police used tear gas in Kitengela, a municipality near Nairobi, where around 200 protesters burned tires and chanted slogans against Ruto. Demonstrators in Nairobi’s city center and Mombasa also encountered tear gas.

RT’s correspondent asked one of the protesters to explain why citizens had taken to the streets. “We are just saying stop corruption in the government … We want to clean Kenya,” the protester said. Local news outlets reported protesters holding placards calling for an audit of the national debt. Other demonstrators blocked the Katarina-Nairobi highway. 

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The government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported that at least 50 people have been killed so far in the general unrest, which has been going on for weeks.

On Monday, Ruto accused the Ford Foundation of having financed the protests but offered no evidence to support his claim. The social justice-promoting organization denied these allegations, stating that it does not fund protests and adheres to a non-partisan policy.

The cabinet reshuffle in July was the second by the president of the East African country. Earlier in 2023, Ruto replaced the heads of eight ministries in an effort to quell public anger over the nation’s economic difficulties.

According to a recent report by Kenya’s central bank, Nairobi’s domestic and foreign public debt totals more than $80 billion, with debt servicing accounting for approximately 60% of the country’s revenues.

President Ruto, who had promoted the Finance Bill as a necessary reform to secure IMF funding and avoid debt default, has said his government is considering alternative measures, including budget cuts for his office.