To maintain peace and disperse hundreds of protesters, the Nairobi police had to release tear gas on Tuesday. The protesters were protesting against President William Ruto. The activists had called for a complete shutdown of Kenya to pressure Ruto to resign.
Despite Ruto backing down from a plan to increase taxes by $2.7 billion (€2.48 billion) and firing most of his cabinet after weeks of sometimes violent protests, demonstrators continue to blame him for mismanagement, corruption, and the deaths of over a dozen people during clashes with police.
Protests, mainly led by young people, also took place in Kitengela and Mombasa on Tuesday, where chants of “Ruto must go” and “Stop killing us” were heard. Reuters reporters described these protests as some of the largest yet, indicating sustained public anger.
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This wave of protests marks the first major challenge for Ruto since taking office in 2022. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported on Tuesday that 50 people, mostly in Nairobi, have been killed, with 413 others injured. The commission called for a strict directive against human rights abuses by security forces.
While Ruto’s office had announced talks this week to address protester grievances, there has been no progress on this front. Kenya currently spends about 30% of its public revenue on its significant debt burden, causing a sharp rise in living costs for its citizens.
Despite these challenges, Ruto accused foreign entities like the US-based Ford Foundation of instigating violence across Kenya. He had previously blamed “criminals” for the unrest.
