Anti-government protests | No end to crisis in sight in Kenya

The Kenyan government is blowing hot and cold in the hope of stemming the wave of protests triggered in mid-June by the announcement of the introduction of new taxes.

After security forces opened fire with live ammunition on a mob attempting to storm parliament last week, President William Ruto defended their work, stressing the need to counter the actions of “traitors” encouraging “violence and lawlessness”.

The next day, the head of state radically changed his tone, noting that the population had made its anger heard about the government’s budget plan and announced immediately that it would be withdrawn.

He also promised that the government would begin a dialogue with the young people of “Generation Z”, who are behind the protest movement, to identify their priorities, and that the executive and elected members of Parliament would review their own spending to help clean up public finances.

Several elected officials had taken to posting photos of their trips abroad or their privileged living conditions online, fueling indignation.

After new demonstrations that turned into clashes in several cities, including Nairobi, the Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday condemned in a statement the actions of criminal groups aiming to “spread terror” in the country and promised to crack down accordingly.

New wave of popular anger

Although the controversial budget bill was withdrawn, many people took to the streets to demand the ouster of President William Ruto, who came to power in 2022 promising to help the underprivileged.

“He said what he had to say to get to the presidency. Then he completely changed his tune… I don’t think many people believe what he says anymore,” Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan journalist and author who has been closely following the ongoing protests, said Tuesday.

Rather than helping the population, the president imposed a series of austerity measures after his election aimed at slowing the growth of the country’s debt, which represents 70% of GDP.

A wave of protests fueled by the political opposition had occurred in spring 2023 in response to rising living costs and allegations of electoral fraud, but had petered out after a few months.

The current protests are different, Mr. Gathara notes, because they were launched by young people who have broken away from the traditional political class, which is seen as ineffective and corrupt.

He is not overly surprised that security forces opened fire last week.

“It was a deliberate attempt to stop the protests,” said the journalist, who does not expect the ploy to quell popular anger.

The official human rights agency (KHNCR) estimates that 39 people have died and 360 others have been injured since the protests began.

Capital of sympathy

The country’s main opposition party, led by Raila Odinga, who was defeated by William Ruto in the 2022 election, has denounced the use of strong-arm tactics and accused the president of being responsible for the deaths that occurred last week.

“It is not a surprise that calls for resignation are ringing out across the country,” the party noted.

The head of state assured for his part on Sunday that he “had no blood on his hands” and defended the police by affirming that they had “done their best” in difficult circumstances.

According to Mr. Gathara, the protesters currently have a significant amount of sympathy among the population.

However, this could quickly run out of steam, he said, if the movement struggles to establish clear objectives after the withdrawal of the budget bill and if acts of vandalism and looting occurring on the fringes of the demonstrations multiply.

“The president is already weakened, no matter what. If he tries to impose himself by force, things risk getting worse,” concludes Mr. Gathara.