Kenyans are determined to continue the protests despite President William Ruto’s U-turn in signing the finance bill that has sparked outrage in the capital, Nairobi and other parts of Kenya.
The protesters gathered yet again in Nairobi as Kenya’s security officials put up roadblocks and fire tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators.
Deadly protests were sparked last week by the 2024 finance bill as the initially peaceful rallies gathered momentum across the country.
On Tuesday, Kenya’s Parliament was partly set ablaze and at least 22 people were reported killed across the country.
And by Wednesday, President William Ruto said he would not sign the bill, and “it shall subsequently be withdrawn”.
Meanwhile the director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, Hassan Khannenje who spoke to journalists on Thursday said the people are still angry because president Ruto was yet to fulfill its promises to them.
“Part of it is because of the increasing cost of living as well as the state of helplessness as a result of decreasing employment. Now some of these factors may not exactly be Ruto’s making … however, I think there is increasing helplessness as a result of increasing economic difficulties and social despondency.”
On the government’s approach to the protests, Khannenje said the widespread nature of demonstrations has posed a challenge.
“It is always easy to deal with an identifiable enemy with a command and control structure. Now when you are dealing with a group that is spontaneous and extremely widespread, organised but without a definable structure to be able to deal with, it becomes increasingly difficult. It’s the kind of protest that cuts across ethnic political or religious lines, and that becomes hard to also deal with.”
Meanwhile, Protesters have barricaded the Kilifi-Malindi highway in Kwa Kazuri near coastal Mombasa.
Some others at least 100 demonstrators have taken to the streets in Makueni, burning tyres in a peaceful demonstration.
A Kenyan youth leader Kasmuel Mcoure, while also speaking to journalists said the environment created by the riot police had become “increasingly unsafe”, with protesters tear-gassed “consistently”.
“President Ruto is running a country which has very heavily disgruntled youth; this would have been sorted out by him just toning down, withdrawing the bill and as a sign of goodwill, withdrawing the whole Appropriations Act because we have no faith in our political class.
“I’ve come out and I found that they are shooting children, a doctor was shot in the back. And I know we’re willing to risk our lives for the country but it’s a bloodbath.
“Kenya has been declared a military state. And I know nobody’s talking about that enough. But the army has been given free rein.”
Kenya’s High Court says it will decide whether it will block the deployment of the military to help the police in controlling protests.
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