“I bow and will not promulgate the 2024 finance bill,” announced William Ruto, the day after the death of at least 22 people in the streets of Nairobi.
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Will anger return to Kenya? President William Ruto announced on Wednesday June 26 the withdrawal of the 2024-25 draft budget providing for tax increases, sparking a powerful protest in the country. “After listening carefully to the Kenyan people who have made it clear that they want nothing to do with this 2024 Finance Bill, I bow down and will not be signing the 2024 Finance Bill into law and it will therefore be withdrawn.”he declared, calling for a national consultation with young people.
This speech comes the day after a third day of mobilization in eight days against this text, which left 22 dead according to the official body for the protection of human rights in the country. “The bill is withdrawn but are you going to restore the lives of all those who died??”reacted one of the figures of the protest, Hanifa Adan, denouncing “a communications operation”. This journalist and activist had earlier in the day called for a silent march. “peaceful” in memory of the victims, Thursday.
The Azimio opposition coalition had called on the president not to promulgate the text on Wednesday, the day after“a day that will remain marked with infamy”, using President Roosevelt’s formula after Pearl Harbor. The draft budget had catalyzed latent discontent against President Ruto, elected in August 2022 by promising to defend the most modest, but who then increased the fiscal pressure on the population. Last year, the government had already increased income tax and health contributions and doubled VAT on gasoline. A puzzle now opens up for him to find alternative sources of income.
