Kenyan Parliament Passes Controversial Finance Bill as Protests Turn Deadly
Kenyans remain resolute in their opposition to the Finance Bill 2024 amid reports of deaths and injuries.
Update: This story has been updated with the most recent information as of June 25 at 8:30 p.m. GMT+3.
Kenyans have refused to back down in their agitation against a new bill that hikes current taxes, and introduces new ones as the country battles a cost of living crisis.
Today, which is Day 5 of "7 Days of Rage," a series of demonstration and civic actions against the bill, members of the East African country's parliament adopted the bill, which now only requires President William Ruto's signature to become law. The Star reports that Ruto will address the Tuesday night.
According toThe EastAfrican, police used tear gas and water canons to disperse protesters on the streets of the country's capital city, Nairobi, while also sealing off the parliament building and State House, as lawmakers debated and approved the bill. The Standard reports that protests also rocked other cities like Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and Kakamega, crippling transport services and leading to the closure of some businesses.
Clips have also appeared of protesters breaching the parliament building and setting parts of it on fire, with CNN confirming that it has seen at least two bodies after police fired live rounds at protesters. Dozens of others have been hospitalised, according to theBBC, who also quotes the Kenyan Medical Association as saying five protesters were shot dead.
For about two weeks, the Kenyan government has been facing sustained pressure over the bill. Last Wednesday, demonstrators in Nairobi to the streets to voice their opposition to the Finance Bill 2024, which many fear will exacerbate economic hardships in a country already grappling with significant financial challenges.
In response, the government announced several amendments aimed at addressing some of the protesters' concerns. The National Assembly’s Finance Committee announced that it planned to drop a proposal to add taxes to bread, transportation of sugar, financial services and foreign exchange transactions, among others. “We have listened to you,” Kimani Ichung’wah, the majority leader in Parliament, said in a news conference. “We have heard you.”
Prior to today's vote, MPs faced intense scrutiny from their constituents, many who made direct calls in a phone campaign that accompanied the larger protests.
The bill plans to impose VAT on staple items, a 25 percent charge on crude and refined vegetable oils, an Eco Levy on products packaged with plastic, as well as an annual Motor Vehicle Tax.
However, the government's efforts to placate the protests have proven insufficient. On June 19, protestors in Mombasa, Kenya’s second largest city, gathered in large numbers, continuing to decry the bill's potential economic impact.
Under the banner of "Occupy Mombasa," the demonstrations mirror the intensity of those in Nairobi. The fact that it took place despite the government’s capitulation signals a nationwide discontent with the bill that shows no signs of abating.
Majority of the protesters appeared to be young Kenyans who shared their disgruntlement through chants and slogans, emphasizing that the government's recent amendments were merely superficial adjustments that failed to address the core issues at hand. Shouts of “Reject the Finance Bill”; “[President] Ruto Must Go!”; and “Yote yawezekana bila Ruto!” (Anything is possible without President Ruto!) rang loud.
The persistence of protests in both Nairobi and Mombasa underscores the high stakes involved, as citizens demand a more equitable and just fiscal policy. The outcome of Thursday's vote will likely have far-reaching implications for the government's relationship with the public and its ability to implement its financial agenda.
A unified voice of dissent
The protests have been largely organized by Kenyans on social media, using the #RejectTheFinanceBill hashtag to pressure MPs to oppose key parts of the bill.
One of the protesters,Zaha Indimuli, 23, told local media, Nation, that TikTok was used as an organizing platform for the many youth who turned up to the protest in Nairobi.
“We were arrested. We were harassed. We were beaten up. And tear gas was thrown at us before we even started the protest. And hours later, twenty of us have been arrested,” she said as she waited to find out about her friends.
“We are the Gen Zs who were able to mobilize ourselves,” she said. “Here’s the catch. We are young people. We are not scared. We are not moved and this is just the beginning of the evolution. We are coming. We are many and we are in good numbers.”
Among those arrested and later released was activist Hanifa Adan. “They just took me. I didn’t do anything,” she said.
For those who did not join the demonstrators on the ground, there was large support on all social media platforms. Some chose to call their MPs to protest the bill, while others donated to the bail fund created by Defenders Coalition, a Kenya-based human rights organization.