The sting of tear gas, the sound of live rounds being fired and images of injured people falling to the ground were accompanied by massive protests in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Tuesday after parliament passed a controversial tax increase bill. There has been criticism that the bill would affect taxes. Adding to economic despair.
At least five people died from gunshot wounds, civil society groups said, as days of protests against the tax bill ended with clashes between police and protesters and crowds storming parliament amid thick smoke. In recent days, the government has been accused of kidnapping critics, carrying out mass arrests across the country to quell unrest, and using force that caused serious injuries and at least one death.
With a population of over 54 million, Kenya is a typical bastion of regional economic security. Many young people have used technology and social media to organize opposition to the government that they say transcends ethnicity, tribe, race and socioeconomic class.
Here’s what we know about the controversial legislation that sparked Tuesday’s clashes.
What role will the tax bill play?
Ruto’s government submitted the Finance Bill 2024 to parliament in May, which aims to boost revenue and help the country cope with huge debt in a borrowing economy.
Initially, the bill called for taxes on essential goods such as bread, cooking oil and cars, but public backlash led lawmakers to roll back some of the taxes. However, these setbacks failed to stop popular protests.
Parliament passed the bill on Tuesday. Taxes on imported goods – including some basic items such as eggs from nearby East African countries – are expected to be increased, as well as levies on phone and internet usage, bank transfer fees and businesses operating digitally.
What does the opposition say?
Critics of the bill say it will drive up the cost of goods for consumers in a country already grappling with a high cost of living.
The overall opposition reflects trends across Africa, where young people are increasingly bearing the brunt of rising unemployment and all Kenyans are suffering from high prices, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic and trade disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine interference. In Kenya, another factor is the huge national debt burden.
Anger and resentment against President William Ruto, who campaigned on promises to improve living standards for the poor, have fueled growing public discontent. Previous increases in health insurance and electricity bills by Ruto’s government, combined with natural disasters, triggered demonstrations last year that rights groups said killed 57 people.
Michelle Gavin, senior fellow for Africa policy at the Council on Foreign Affairs, said Kenyans “feel increasingly squeezed by disappearing subsidies and rising taxes, and misled by a government that campaigned on economic empowerment but failed to govern But it promotes austerity.” relation.
“All of this is happening amid a lack of employment opportunities and ongoing corruption among political elites,” she added. “The Finance Bill has the nature of a ‘last straw’.”
Mr Ruto’s lavish lifestyle has been a focus of dissent, with critics contrasting him with the poorer public who will be most affected by impending tax increases.
Less than a month ago, the White House hosted Mr. Ruto for a state dinner in the hope of bolstering America’s precarious balance in the African Union. Ruto sent the first Kenyan police contingent to Haiti on Monday, a deployment that has drawn criticism at home as part of a Biden administration-led plan to curb gang violence in Haiti. Some question whether Kenyan police, who have a history of brutality, are fit for such a mission.
Kenyan police have long been accused by human rights groups of using harsh tactics to crack down on protesters and carrying out extrajudicial killings at police stations.
What happens next?
President Ruto has two weeks to sign the bill into law or send it back to parliament for amendments.
In a public address on Tuesday night, Mr Ruto called the protests “treason” and an “existential threat” to the country, saying the government had “mobilized all resources at the country’s disposal to ensure that a situation of this nature does not occur”. Happen again, at all costs. “
Kenyan Defense Minister Aden Duale said the military was assisting police.
Thirteen Western embassies, including the United States, issued a joint statement saying they were “shocked” by the violence and “deeply concerned” by allegations that protesters were kidnapped. They called on “all parties to exercise restraint”.
