Back Manifestations contre le projet de loi de finances au Kenya French ההפגנות בקניה (2024) HE Unjuk rasa Rancangan Undang-Undang Keuangan Kenya ID Proteste in Kenya del 2024 Italian کینیا فنانس بل دا احتجاج PNB 肯亞財政法案抗議活動 Chinese

Kenya Finance Bill protests

Kenya Finance Bill protests
Hashtag Reject Finance Bill 2024
Protesters Nairobi, the capital
Protesters in Nairobi, the capital
Date18 June 2024 – present (2 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Kenya
Caused by
MethodsProtests, demonstrations, civil disobedience, civil resistance, online activism, riots, hacktivism, mass mobilization
StatusOngoing
Concessions
  • 18 June

Government of Kenya scrapped parts of the Bill.

  • 26 June

President William Ruto declines to sign the Bill into law.

  • 28 June
The Bill is rejected by the Government of Kenya.
Parties
Deaths, arrests and damages
Death(s)24[5][6][7][8]
Injuries230+[9][10]
Arrested283
DamageThe Kenya Parliament building is set on fire

The Kenya Finance Bill protests, widely known by hashtag #RejectFinanceBill2024, are a series of ongoing decentralized mass protests in Kenya against tax increases proposed by the Government of Kenya in the Finance Bill 2024.[11] Following the storming of the Parliament of Kenya, president William Ruto rejected the Bill on 28 June and signed into law the "Appropriations Bill 2024" to address the budget shortfall caused by the rejection.[12] Nonetheless, protests escalated into riots on July 2, with demonstrators now demanding Ruto's resignation.[13][14][15]

In May 2024, the proposed tax increases were heavily criticized by younger Kenyans especially concerned with the increase in taxes, and these younger Kenyans have "guided the protests".[16] They initially mobilized online using social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.[17] Young activists circulated calls to action, translated the bill into several local languages,[17] used the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to answer questions about the bill,[17] and leaked the phone numbers of political leaders to allow protesters to spam them with SMS and WhatsApp messages.[17] Peaceful protests began on 18 June in Nairobi, leading to widely condemned arrests. On 18 June, the Kenyan Parliament amended the bill, removing some controversial clauses.[18] However, the bill was nonetheless passed the next day, leading to nationwide protests and heavy clashes with security forces. On 25 June protesters stormed the Parliament buildings, leading to clashes with police that resulted in at least 22[5] deaths and numerous injuries.[7]

On 26 June, Kenyan President William Ruto addressed the nation and informed them that he would not sign the 2024 Finance Bill, stating that it will be withdrawn and he had come to an agreement with the MPs of his party for that to be their collective position.[19][20]

  1. ^ a b c Latif Dahir, Abdi (25 June 2024). "Casualties Reported as Police Fire on Protesters in Kenya". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Protests in Kenya: Gen Z takes to the streets – DW – 06/20/2024". Deutsche Welle.
  3. ^ Communist Party of Kenya (18 June 2024). "Unmasking Ruto's Betrayal and Mobilizing for Kenya's Sovereignty and Justice". Black Agenda Report. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  4. ^ Ochieng (20 June 2024). "Mass protests against Kenyan President Ruto's IMF-dictated Finance Bill". Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b Musambi, Evelyne (26 June 2024). "The death toll rises to 22 a day after Kenyan protesters stormed parliament over plan to raise taxes". The Associated Press. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  6. ^ Lidigu, Leon (20 June 2024). "Finance Bill protests: One dead after being shot by police". Nation. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b Muia, Wycliffe (20 June 2024). "New faces of protest – Kenya's Gen Z anti-tax revolutionaries". BBC. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024. Cite error: The named reference ":3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Ombati, Cyrus (21 June 2024). "Finance Bill protests: One killed along Moi Avenue". The Star. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  9. ^ Holland, Hereward; Kahinju, Jefferson (21 June 2024). "One person killed, over 200 injured in Kenya anti-tax demonstrations". Reuters. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  10. ^ Nicholls, Catherine (25 June 2024). "5 people killed and dozens injured in Kenyan protests, rights groups say". CNN. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Kenya Gazzette Supplement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  12. ^ "President Ruto directs Sh346 billion budget cut after Finance Bill rejection". Business Daily. 28 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Protests continue in Kenya as some are now calling for the president to step down". Washington Times. 2 July 2024.
  16. ^ Dahir, Abdi Latif (25 June 2024). "The protests in Kenya have been driven by younger people". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Mwaura, Job (22 June 2024). "Kenya protests: Gen Z shows the power of digital activism – driving change from screens to the streets". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Finance Bill Amendments". Office of the President of the Republic of Kenya. 18 June 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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