A lot has been witnessed as Kenyan protestors enter their third week of protesting. The backbone of the story is that they initially rejected the finance bill 2024, but their preferences have seemed to change of late with a trending hashtag on socials (#rutomustgo). Does this stand to say that the Kenyan citizens have had it with the current government? While that seems to be unclear, why don't we dive deeper into the story and try to uncover the mystery?
The current protests are being led by the young generation, going by the name Generation Z (GENZ). It is said that they organized the peaceful protest by using social connectivity on platforms such as TikTok and X (Twitter), among others. They had their agendas set, and they took matters to the ground to fight the 2024 finance bill proposed by the government, led by their current President William Ruto. It is said that the finance bill proposed hiked taxes, which would have led to increased prices on goods and services, both local and imported, making life even harder for Kenyan citizens. This proposition did not sit well with the Kenyan people, hence the rise of the #rejectfinancebill2024 protests.
During the first week, the demonstrations were peaceful. They premiered on 18th June 2024, after the finance bill was introduced publicly. The public introduction of the bill caused the protests to escalate quickly, as major cities including Nairobi, Mombasa, and Eldoret were occupied by raging protestors on the streets, showing their vivid rejection of the Finance Bill 2024. The protests went on, with Kenyans showing their rage by putting up billboards and poster ads, and even posting on socials to show their determination to reject the finance bill. At this point, the situation was as peaceful as it could get, with no clashes of any kind.
The tables began turning when someone allegedly leaked the numbers of the MPs publicly on social media, making them accessible to everyone on the internet. The MPs even reported being sent as low as Ksh. 1 by individuals who wanted to confirm whether the numbers belonged to them. How these numbers were shared on socials remains a mystery for another day. But things didn't end there. As the protests entered the second week, the angry Kenyans seemed to be losing it even more. On Tuesday, 25th June 2024, as the voting of the finance bill in parliament was ongoing, the protesters were moving in masses towards the parliament buildings with the movement #occupyparliament. The police tried their best to restrain the angry protesters from getting close to the parliament building, but their efforts bore no fruit. Within a matter of seconds, the parliament building was infiltrated. The MPs were forced to escape through an underground tunnel to avoid the chaotic situation. The parliament building was vandalized, and a section of it was even burnt. There is also an alleged theft of the parliament mace, which signifies power in the house, among other things. Additionally, City Hall was burned down and major public sectors were vandalized. The vandalization occurred across the country as the MPs who voted YES to the finance bill faced major damages to their properties.
Even though the protestors were able to occupy parliament, there was some bloodshed. Several protestors, currently estimated at 41, were shot dead by law enforcement officers. This was quite a tragedy, as the lives of Kenyans were lost. To make matters worse, a 12-year-old boy was shot 8 times during the ongoing protests. The protests seemed to bear some fruit, as the president later addressed the public, claiming to withdraw the finance bill 2024. Now here is where things get more complicated: Kenyans are now demanding the resignation of their president. The word on the ground is that they are fed up with him and his government. I quote, "Ruto aende nyumbani tumeshoka kudanganywa," and others saying, "Bill imeanguka, anguka nayo." These are not my words, but the words of the angry Kenyans on the street. The president has tried holding peaceful debates with the GENZs to come to some sort of agreement, but they seem unwilling to do so.
The situation has intensified, as the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) operatives have been deployed to the streets to assist the police in maintaining peace and order. This is an unusual situation, as the last time soldiers were deployed to the streets was more than 40 years ago. Although it is not yet clear how long the KDF operatives will remain on the streets, we are awaiting further updates. Despite the deployment of soldiers, Kenyans seem determined to continue their fight, pushing for the resignation of the sitting president by force.
This is what we have for you today. We will keep updating you on what follows. Thank you!