NAIROBI: President William Ruto has condemned the unrest in the capital and promised a strong and swift response to what he called “treasonous events”.
Nairobi witnessed a wave of violence on Tuesday, as protests against proposed tax increases descended into deadly chaos, with protesters storming the parliament grounds. Five people were killed and 31 others were injured, according to Amnesty Kenya and other NGOs.
Addressing reporters in Nairobi, he declared: “We will provide a full, effective and swift response to today's treasonous events.” He criticized the protests for being “hijacked by dangerous people” and said it was unthinkable that “criminals posing as peaceful protesters” wreak havoc and go unpunished.
Ruto issued a stern warning to those he identified as the masterminds of the violence. He said: “I hereby put on notice the planners, financiers, orchestrators, accomplices of violence and anarchy.”
The chaotic scene unfolded as protesters, angry over proposed tax increases amid a cost-of-living crisis, clashed with police, broke barricades and ransacked parliament. Elizabeth Nyaberi, a 26-year-old lawyer, echoed the sentiments of many protesters, saying: “This is the voice of Kenya's youth. They are teargassing us, but we don't care.”
The unrest has generated international concern. The United States called for calm, while thirteen Western nations, including Canada, Germany and Great Britain, expressed their shock at the events. The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, through his spokesperson, conveyed his deep concern and pain for the violence and the victims. Similarly, African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat urged restraint to avoid further violence.
Amnesty International's Kenya chapter criticized the police response, pointing to a rapid decline in policing of protests and highlighting allegations of kidnappings of protesters by plainclothes officers. The Kenya Human Rights Commission called for the unconditional release of the detainees.
Despite the government's recent concessions to reverse some tax increases, it plans to raise other taxes, including those on fuel and exports, to address budget shortfalls. Critics argue that these measures will exacerbate living costs in a nation already struggling with high inflation and widespread poverty.
Kenya, one of East Africa's most dynamic economies, faces significant economic challenges: a third of its population lives in poverty and debt servicing costs are rising due to the depreciation of its currency.
