Kenya Finance Bill protests

Kenya Finance Bill protests
Hashtag Reject Finance Bill 2024
Protesters Nairobi, the capital
Protesters in Nairobi
Date
18 June – 8 August 2024 (1 month, 3 weeks, and 4 days)
Location
Kenya
Caused by
MethodsProtests, demonstrations, civil disobedience, civil resistance, online activism, riots, hacktivism, mass mobilization
StatusEnded
Concessions
  • 18 June

Government of Kenya scrapped parts of the Bill.

  • 26 June

President William Ruto declines to sign the Bill into law.

  • 28 June
The Bill is rejected by the Government of Kenya.
Parties
Deaths, arrests and damages
Death(s)50[5][6][7][8]
Injuries230+[9][10]
Arrested283
DamageThe Kenya Parliament building is set on fire

The Kenya Finance Bill protests, widely known by #RejectFinanceBill2024, or Gen Z protests, were a series of decentralized mass protests in Kenya against tax increases proposed by the Government of Kenya in the Finance Bill 2024.[11] Following the storming of the Kenyan Parliament, president William Ruto reportedly rejected the Bill on 28 June; signed into law the "Appropriations Bill 2024" to address the budget shortfall caused by the rejection.[12] Nonetheless, protests escalated into riots on 2 July, as demonstrators demanded Ruto's resignation.[13][14][15][16][excessive citations]

In May 2024, the proposed tax increases were heavily criticized by younger Kenyans who spearheaded the protests.[17] They mobilized using social media platforms like X, TikTok and Instagram.[18] Young activists circulated calls to action, translated the bill into several local languages,[18] used the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to answer questions about the bill,[18] and leaked the phone numbers of political leaders allowing protesters to spam them with SMS and WhatsApp messages.[18]

Peaceful protests began on 18 June in Nairobi, leading to widely condemned arrests. On 18 June, the Kenyan Parliament amended the bill, removing some controversial clauses.[19] However, the bill was nonetheless passed the next day, leading to nationwide protests and heavy clashes with security forces. On 25 June protesters stormed the Parliament buildings, leading to clashes with police that resulted in at least 22[5] deaths and numerous injuries.[7] Human Rights Watch accused Kenyan security services of abducting, torturing and extrajudicially executing citizens believed to be leaders of anti-government protests.[20][21]

On 26 June, President Ruto held a press conference and decided to withhold the signing of the bill due to its unpopularity.[22][23]

  1. ^ a b c Latif Dahir, Abdi (25 June 2024). "Casualties Reported as Police Fire on Protesters in Kenya". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Protests in Kenya: Gen Z takes to the streets". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  3. ^ Communist Party of Kenya (18 June 2024). "Unmasking Ruto's Betrayal and Mobilizing for Kenya's Sovereignty and Justice". Black Agenda Report. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  4. ^ Ochieng (20 June 2024). "Mass protests against Kenyan President Ruto's IMF-dictated Finance Bill". Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b Musambi, Evelyne (26 June 2024). "The death toll rises to 22 a day after Kenyan protesters stormed parliament over plan to raise taxes". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  6. ^ Lidigu, Leon (20 June 2024). "Finance Bill protests: One dead after being shot by police". Nation. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b Muia, Wycliffe (20 June 2024). "New faces of protest – Kenya's Gen Z anti-tax revolutionaries". BBC. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  8. ^ Ombati, Cyrus (21 June 2024). "Finance Bill protests: One killed along Moi Avenue". The Star. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  9. ^ Holland, Hereward; Kahinju, Jefferson (21 June 2024). "One person killed, over 200 injured in Kenya anti-tax demonstrations". Reuters. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  10. ^ Nicholls, Catherine (25 June 2024). "5 people killed and dozens injured in Kenyan protests, rights groups say". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Kenya Gazzette Supplement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  12. ^ "President Ruto directs Sh346 billion budget cut after Finance Bill rejection". Business Daily. 28 June 2024. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Protests continue in Kenya as some are now calling for the president to step down". Washington Times. 2 July 2024. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Dahir, Abdi Latif (25 June 2024). "The protests in Kenya have been driven by younger people". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d Mwaura, Job (22 June 2024). "Kenya protests: Gen Z shows the power of digital activism – driving change from screens to the streets". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Finance Bill Amendments". Office of the President of the Republic of Kenya. 18 June 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Kenya: Security Forces Abducted, Killed Protesters". Human Rights Watch. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  21. ^ Yusuf, Mohammed (6 November 2024). "Kenyan security forces accused of abduction, deaths of protesters". Voice of America. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).