Kenya: President for No Violence in Protests
Kenyan President William Ruto, July 2024 Photo: EFE
July 22, 2024 Hour: 7:09 pm
The bill, which sparked youth protests that led to its withdrawal from the National Assembly by the president, was seeking to raise an additional 346.7 billion shillings (2.7 billion U.S. dollars) through new taxes.
On Sunday, Kenyan President William Ruto vowed that his government will not allow violent protests that have led to untold suffering in several parts of the country.
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Ruto who has been under intense pressure from young protesters to drop high taxes, cut wastage and fight corruption, said the government will take tough measures to protect lives and property of all Kenyans and assured the country that firm security has been put in place to ensure no group threatens the prevailing peace.
The president said he had extended an open invitation to everyone, encouraging the Gen-Z protesters to voice their concerns following the deadly protests, which has claimed more than 50 lives and several injuries, including destruction of property across the country.
He strongly condemned Gen-Z for evading discussions with him during an X Space meeting and in the planned national dialogue.
“Enough is enough. They (protesters) demanded that I withdraw the Finance Bill 2024, and I did that. I called them for a conversation, but they directed me to X Space. I went there, but they fled. Now, I have called for a dialogue, but they have refused, saying that they are faceless and formless,” Ruto said in Bomet County, northwest Kenya.
“We are a democratic nation and we cannot surrender our democracy to faceless, formless and anonymous anarchists who want to use violence to destroy our country,” he added.
The president was forced to dissolve his Cabinet last week after young protesters staged anti-government demonstrations across the country in June against a wide range of unpopular tax increases contained in the Finance Bill 2024 that have since been withdrawn.
The bill, which sparked youth protests that led to its withdrawal from the National Assembly by the president, was seeking to raise an additional 346.7 billion shillings (2.7 billion U.S. dollars) through new taxes.
The protesters had expressed outrage over provisions of the bill that would raise taxes on goods and services that many people depend on, such as bread, and on mobile money transfers, to meet the government’s revenue targets.
The Gen-Z protesters had been demanding accountability in government, saying there is a lot of opulence and wastage in government spending.
On Sunday, Ruto pointed out that Kenya is a democracy governed by the rule of law, saying the country is more important than a few individuals.
He asked those hiding under the youth to destabilize the country to come forward and provide their alternative plan for the country.
“Our plans to transform education, health, agriculture, energy, water and infrastructure, among others, are known. These others should tell us what their plans are instead of hiding behind violence,” Ruto said.
He said time has come for the so-called “leaderless, faceless and formless” group to present their alternative agenda instead of engaging in destructive demonstrations.
The president urged Kenyans to be wary of individuals using undemocratic means to destabilize the nation to attain their selfish ends.
Ruto emphasized the need for Kenyans to guard peace, saying some individuals were hiding behind the youth to cause anarchy.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: Africanews-Aljazeera
