Beyond the Tax Bill: Nationwide protests reject rogue kakistocracy, government double-speak and executive excesses

Medic: “Stop lobbying teargas, we have patients with gunshot wounds”

Police: “Go back and wait, we will kill even more”

Peaceful Assembly

Youth reject over taxation amid opulence and largesse by government
On 18th June 2024, a massive wave of peaceful #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests also referred to as 'GenZ protests' led by Kenya's youth, erupted in the country after hundreds of thousands of people from cities and towns across Kenya took to the streets to protest a controversial Finance Bill, which in recent weeks elicited sharp public outrage because of its heavy tax implications on Kenyan citizens and residents. The Bill, which the government justified as aiming to help pay off the country’s foreign debt, proposed to impose taxes on basic everyday necessities such as bread, sugar, diapers, telephone and internet data services, mobile phones and money transfers, among other commodities. The Bill also sought to introduce a very controversial and heavily opposed motor vehicle tax which would see vehicle owners pay an annual tax of 2.5% of the value of the motor vehicle, in addition to their compulsory motor vehicle insurance covers.

Discontent around the country’s struggling economy, recent tax policies which have seen remarkable tax increases on basic commodities that have negatively affected disposable incomes especially in poor households, high unemployment rates and rising inflation began online through social media platforms. Disgruntled by the stark dissonance between the increasing hard living and economic conditions, the wanton wastage and looting of public funds and runaway corruption by government officials, and the flagrant opulence and extravagance publicly exhibited by state officials and their families, Kenya’s youth, comprising 65% of the country’s population, have been at the forefront of the protests challenging the punitive tax policies and calling for accountability for public resources.

Executive excesses: Police Brutality, use of snipers – Kenyan police’s broken record

Police brutality ensued on 20th June 2024, when more protests were scheduled. These protests were scheduled on the same day that Members of Parliament were to debate the Bill in Parliament for its second reading stage - to demand that they reject the Bill in its entirety. Peaceful protests began in several cities and towns from at least 35 of the country’s 47 counties including Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, Lamu, Kisumu and Kakamega, among others. Kenyan security forces, known for their unlawful and brutal tactics in responding to peaceful protests, as has been documented severally on the Monitor, disrupted the unarmed #RejectFinanceBill2024 protesters using water cannons, tear gas and live ammunition as they openly meted unwarranted violence and force on peaceful protesters, medical personnel, lawyers, journalists, and on safe spaces such as churches. Several protesters were killed and many others injured, with reports emerging that some of the peaceful protesters were killed by bullets from snipers attached to the police, who were staged atop buildings.

Despite the police violence, the protests continued all day and into the night, after news that the Bill passed the second reading stage in Parliament. The Bill’s passing was also marred by allegations that MPs had received hefty bribes to pass the Bill.

Smaller protests continued across the country in constituencies represented by MPs who voted in favour of the Bill, as protesters gathered to march to their homes and offices to demand their resignation. In some instances, irate residents destroyed properties owned or linked to these MPs.

Executive excesses: A trail of abductions & arrests

In the days that followed, national security and intelligence operatives embarked on an arrests and abductions spree, kidnapping popular social media influencers who have been vocal on their platforms supporting the protests, on allegations of leading and funding the protests. Many others were arrested.

On 25th June 2024, the day scheduled for further nationwide protests, Kenyans woke up to shocking news of overnight abductions, ahead of the protests, of several prominent social media influencers who were vocally supporting the protests online. The planned protests however proceeded as scheduled across the country. In Nairobi, protesters gathered in the city centre to march towards Parliament where the Bill was undergoing its third and final reading. The protesters marched into the parliament buildings, after it was announced that Parliament had passed the bill after its third reading. Police responded by firing live ammunition and tear gas, killing several unarmed protesters inside and outside the parliament buildings.

Executive excess: Illegal police tactics continue to be normalised

The protests have been met with unethical and unlawful police practices which go against the constitutional right to peaceful assembly, and international human rights standards on policing of assemblies. The police used snipers to take out peaceful and unarmed protesters, while other police officers, with faces masked and clad in plainclothes attire against acceptable human rights standards, roamed in unmarked vehicles, shot live bullets and lobbed tear gas directly at people, including medical personnel and journalists.

Massive casualties

As at 1st July 2024, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported that at least 39 protesters and bystanders had been killed, and at least 361 others had been injured. There were 32 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances and 627 incidents of arrests of protesters documented.

Youths resort to innovative protest techniques amid abductions

As the abduction, arrest and killing spree continued, Kenyans resorted to alternative ways of organising and protesting online. On 22nd June 2024, over 60,000 people joined an online space on the X platform to call for the immediate release of those abducted and arrested, denounce police brutality during the protests and chart the way forward for the protests. On 26th June 2024, over 129,000 people joined a similar space online which was hosted by some of the protest supporters. Additionally, Kenyans also utilised other gatherings to protest and express discontent around the controversial Bill. In nightclubs and churches, people collectively chanted against the Finance Bill and actively supported ongoing plans for further protests.

High Court seeks to protect protesters from police excesses

In the wake of the massive victims and casualties of police brutality against ongoing protests, the High Court on 28th June 2024 issued a temporary order restraining the police from using water cannon, live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, brutal force or any form of violence against people protesting against the Finance Bill. The court also issued orders restraining the police from any extrajudicial killing, abduction, arrest, detention, harassment, intimidation, torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of protesters pending the hearing of a petition challenging police brutality in the country.

Notable trend: Sponsored goons hired to disrupt and discredit peaceful protests

Notably in this wave of protests, reports emerged that paid goons linked to certain politicians infiltrated the protests on both days of the major nationwide protests to counter the peaceful protests and attract reaction from security agents by looting and destroying property. Property within parliament buildings was destroyed and set on fire, while several business were also broken into and looted. Conversely, peaceful protesters helped some of the MPs escape parliament buildings as hired goons set it ablaze and destroyed items. Kenyan media outlets have previously reported about rogue politicians who exploit the high unemployment rate in the country to contract jobless members of the youth to do their dirty work during demonstrations and other mobilisations to achieve their selfish interests.

Shockingly, videos circulating on social media also showed uniformed police offices looting from businesses amidst the chaos.

Finance Bill withdrawn, but protests continue amid police excesses, expanded demands for better governance

On 26th June 2024, a day after the police’s brutal response to protesters who marched into parliament, president William Ruto announced his decision not to sign the Finance Bill 2024 into law, after he bowed to pressure from nationwide dissatisfaction with the Bill. He called for dialogue with the youth to identify areas of priority.

While the announcement to withdraw the Finance Bill came as a relief to many Kenyans, the call for dialogue was widely rejected by the youth, terming it as government double-speak as authorities continued to abduct and track protesters in their homes in retaliation for the protests. The protests quickly expanded to articulate broader grievances and demands for better governance. Under a new #RutoMustGo tagline, protesters called for dissolution of government, an end to endemic corruption and looting of public funds, accountability by government officials, austerity by government, and the replacement of inept government officials hired by the president solely for their loyalty to the ruling party with competent technocrats. The protesters also called for police sector reforms and an end to police brutality, among others. Protesters continued to plan for more protests, with the next nationwide protest being scheduled for 2nd July 2024.

Kenyan diaspora hold similar protests

The Kenyan diaspora community from across the globe also held solidarity protests demanding withdrawal of the Finance Bill, dissolution of government, an end to police brutality, an end to corruption in government and overspending by government among other demands. Protests were held in Germany, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, several states in the US, among other countries.

Expression

Media outlet threatened, internet disrupted amid protests

Amid the brutal response to the protests by the police, media outlets such as the Kenya Television Network (KTN) reported receiving threats from authorities to shut them down because of their detailed live coverage of the protests and the police violence on peaceful protesters.

Similarly, internet monitor NetBlocks reported that the country’s internet network service is experiencing a major disruption “amidst a deadly crackdown by police.” This followed reports of internet disruptions by users as anti-Finance Bill protests ensued across the country.

Association

Smear campaign against CSOs amid protests

As authorities struggled to identify the organisers or leaders of the protests, which began organically as a collective disgruntlement with the Finance Bill, politicians began to publicly vilify CSOs, accusing them of funding the protests. During his remarks at a function he attended, Senator Cleophas Wakhungu Malalah claimed that foreign investors and NGOs were funding the anti-Finance Bill protests in the country. Similarly, Senator Samson Cherargei, while speaking at a church service, called upon the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to investigate his unfounded claims that the ongoing protests being led by Gen Z were being funded by Non-Governmental Organisations.