|
Listen to article
|
President William Ruto of Kenya made a sudden turnaround on Wednesday, shelving a contentious tax proposal that had sparked mayhem and fatalities, with over 20 people losing their lives and the parliament being stormed by protesters.
However, Ruto cautioned that scrapping the finance bill would come at a steep cost, leaving a gaping hole in funding for vital initiatives that benefit farmers, educators, and other critical sectors, as Kenya grapples with the weight of its foreign debt.
“I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” Ruto told a press briefing, adding: “The people have spoken.”
The Ruto administration was caught off guard by the ferocity of public backlash against its proposed tax increases, as demonstrations erupted nationwide last week, revealing the depth of discontent among Kenyans.
Kenya’s protests boiled over on Tuesday, as a day of peaceful rallies gave way to bloodshed and destruction, after lawmakers passed the hotly contested bill, leading police to fire on demonstrators who had overrun and torched parts of the parliament building.
Read also: Anti-tax March In Kenya Turns Violent, Leaving 5 Dead – NGOs
A somber assessment by the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has put the death toll at 22, with 300 others suffering injuries, as the agency prepares to launch a comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the violence.
Frustration over the rising cost of living spiralled last week as lawmakers began debating the bill containing the tax hikes.
President Ruto’s government has defended the tax increases as a painful but necessary step to address Kenya’s staggering debt load, which has mushroomed to 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion) – a staggering 70% of the country’s GDP – and threatens to engulf the nation’s finances.
