Kenyan President Ruto withdraws controversial finance bill after deadly protests

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CNN —

Kenya President William Ruto said on Wednesday he would not sign a controversial finance bill, a concession in the face of mass protests that have swept the country and reportedly left at least 23 people dead.

“After reflecting on the ongoing discussions on the contents of the 2024 Finance Bill and listening carefully to the Kenyan people who have loudly stated that they want nothing to do with the 2024 Finance Bill, I acknowledge that and therefore I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill,” Ruto said in a televised address on Wednesday.

“The people have spoken,” Ruto said. “After the bill was passed, there was widespread dissatisfaction expressed across the country with the bill, which unfortunately led to the loss of life, damage to property and the desecration of constitutional institutions.”

Kenya is a country often praised for its stability, but protests have been escalating against the bill, which the government has proposed to control public debt.

Last week, the government scrapped Some tax increases, including a proposed 16 percent value-added tax on bread, as well as levies on motor vehicles, vegetable oils and mobile remittances, have not been enough to quell the protests. Rising cost of living.

On Tuesday, security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition at protesters, resulting in deaths.

Drama unfolded in the Kenyan capital Nairobi as government buildings were set on fire and parliament’s ceremonial mace was stolen during melee. Kenyan lawmakers were evacuated from parliament as police clashed with protesters, CNN affiliate Kenya TV reported.

The violence has left at least 23 people dead, according to civil society group Kenya Police Reform Working Group (PRWG).

In a statement issued by Amnesty International Kenya, PRWG claimed that police targeted young, unarmed protesters outside Parliament and violence continued into the night. They added, “Reports indicate that police shot several people more than 40 times in Gitulai, Nairobi – between 10pm and 1am, when the protests were over.”

This contrasts with the details provided by Ruto, who said in his speech that six people had died.

“My condolences go out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones in this unfortunate way,” Ruto added.

“Our country needs to move on from the current situation and into the future,” Ruto said, adding that he would reach out to young people at the forefront of the protests to listen to their ideas and suggestions.

Ruto’s change of heart came as a surprise to those who had been watching his hardline stance a day earlier.

In an address to the nation after the arson attack on Parliament House, Ruto said Tuesday’s events posed a serious threat to “national security” and that discussions on the bill had been “hijacked by dangerous people.”

Kenyan analyst Herman Maniola said the lives lost on Tuesday could have been saved if the bill had been withdrawn earlier.

“He should have announced it sooner,” Maniola told CNN. “He did today what he should have done two days ago to avoid the traumatic experience we went through yesterday. We had to wait … to do what we should have done on Monday … It pains me, and that’s the general feeling.”