Nationwide protests in Kenya are underway on Tuesday as demonstrators continue to oppose tax hikes the government seeks to introduce. Within a week, the youth-led protests have gained momentum that is morphed into a headache for the government.
Anti-riot police have cordoned off parliament in the capital, Nairobi, where lawmakers are expected to debate the finance bill that seeks to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes as part of an attempt to reduce public debt that sky-rocketed over the last decade.
President William Ruto came into power on a campaign of taking people out of poverty. Still, he now says the huge debt portfolio has limited the government’s ability to fulfill its promises.
Thousands took to the streets of the capital Nairobi and several other cities across the country in two days of protests last week. While the protests were largely peaceful, one person was killed and several others were detained by authorities.
The government has already made some concessions, promising to remove proposed new taxes on bread, cooking oil, car ownership, and financial transactions through amendments to the bill. However, these changes have not appeased the protesters, who are demanding the complete withdrawal of the bill.
On Tuesday afternoon, lawmakers will discuss the amendments, which, according to the finance ministry, would create a 200 billion Kenyan shilling deficit in the 2024/25 budget. This would force the government to either reduce spending or increase taxes in other areas.