PROTESTS Ruto came to power in 2022 promising to improve conditions and create opportunities for the young. However a finance bill designed to reduce Kenya’s debt and generate tax revenue in order to eliminate the country’s national debt of nearly $80bn sparked mass protests in June when demonstrators first took to the streets to rally against proposed tax hikes. Te public debt makes up about 70 per cent of Kenya's gross domestic product. Ruto argued that the measures, would raise $2.7bn in additional


taxes, and would reduce Kenya's reliance on borrowing to fund its budget. Ruto proposed tax hikes on various goods and services including a 16 per cent VAT on bread and 25 per cent on cooking oil as well as tax hikes on mobile money transfers and a new annual 2.5 per cent tax on cars. Other taxes included 16 per cent VAT on some financial services and foreign exchange transactions. Income from the operation of digital marketplaces and digital content would have also been taxed under the bill.


Te movement #RejectFinanceBill2024 on Instagram, TikTok, and X helped to mobilise a series of initially peaceful protests in Nairobi in June. A month later the youth-led protests turned violent. Tousands of people gathered in Nairobi with some storming into parliament and other offices of government insti- tutions and setting parts of them on fire. Protests also took place in other cities and towns across the country. Kenyan police fired live rounds at hundreds of demonstrators trying to storm Parliament House, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. Te Kenya Human Rights Commission reported that 23 indi-


viduals lost their lives nationwide during the violence, which intensified following the passage of the disputed bill after its third and final reading. Ruto eventually withdrew the bill after the protests. Ruto said that he had worked hard "to pull Kenya out of a debt trap" and that huge consequences lie ahead.


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