In what began like a joke in the streets of Kenya, the young people who started a protest against the Finance Bill 2024 have sustained their tempo until now. Kenya citizens have alleged that the government of President William Ruto has perfected plans to indulge in multiple taxations on the poor masses. The young people took to the streets to express their disagreement and anger over the Finance Bill 2024 passed by the parliament.
In a show of concern, President Ruto held a press conference to reassure Kenyans of his readiness to work with them in resolving any conflict within the Bill. However, the youth felt his address had no direction and was merely a political play to deceive them into surrendering their protest. They marched on with their protest. Within a day of the protest, the parliament rescinded some part of the bill but they young people demanded a total rejection. As the protest rages from street to street, it did turn violent in some quarters resulting to loss of lives and properties.
While President Ruto continues to persuade Kenyans to see reason with him for the greater good of the country, his actions however betrays the trust which he seek. For instance, the Deputy President’s house which was built with Ksh 450 million received a budget of Ksh 600 million for renovation. This level of government expenditure betrays the very message of sacrifice that President Ruto preaches.
This type of conundrum is not only found in Kenya but all across Africa. In Nigeria, the Vice President’s house was just renovated with the sum of N21 billion according to government records. This was a cause of uproar across social media platforms in Nigeria. It clearly appears that African leaders are completely out of touch with reality and very distant from their people.
Today, 26th June 2024, President Ruto communicated the speaker of the parliament and declined to assent to the Finance Bill 2024 in its current form. While this could look like a victory for Kenyans, it may not be sufficient to persuade the young people to stop their protest. The young people have slated 27th June to occupy the presidential house where Ruto resides in a bid to force him to resign. While President Ruto have increased security all over Kenya to avert further protest and wanton destruction of properties, it is yet to see how he will navigate the challenges posed by this protest and what it means for his democratic principles before the western world which adores him.
