Humanity United condemns the Kenyan government’s violent response to peaceful protests that have been occurring in the wake of an onerous tax-increasing bill. Additionally, we call on the United States government, a close ally of Kenya, to demand that President William Ruto begin demonstrating a respect for fundamental human rights enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution.
Finance Bill 2024, which President Ruto has now withdrawn, proposed a 16% value-added tax on bread, 25% tax on vegetable oil, and increased taxes on financial services, mobile money transactions, and foreign exchange transactions.
In response to the bill, Kenyans began protests in Nairobi on June 18. President Ruto has referred to protesters as “treasonous” and as a danger to national security; police and military also met protesters with tear gas, live rounds, and physical violence that news agencies say left at least 22 protesters dead, 500 wounded, 21 abducted, and at least 50 arrested. There are also credible allegations of the Kenyan authorities attacking journalists and infringing on their ability to report freely. Amnesty International Kenya reports that police fired at the medical emergency center at Holy Basilica of Nairobi. As protests escalated, protesters entered the Parliament building and a section of it was set on fire.
As he withdrew the bill, President Ruto committed to talks with civil society in response to the protests and their aftermath, but the violence adds to a pattern of shrinking civil society space in Kenya and an increasingly challenging environment for human rights and peacebuilding efforts. Research shows that the Kenyan government has misused national security and counter-terrorism measures, with alleged acquiesce of the United States government,to erode civil society and weaken human rights.
Public dissent, robust civil society, freedom of assembly, and the press are key pillars of democratic and peaceful societies. Article 37 of the Constitution of Kenya provides for freedom of assembly; peaceful protests are planned in coming days and it is critical that protesters are able to fully exercise their rights. While recently honoring President Ruto with a state dinner, President Biden touted the strong alliance between the two nations. These attacks in Kenya are contrary to democratic values espoused by the Biden administration; the U.S. government must therefore demand accountability from the Kenyan government while also calling for an end to the attacks on basic freedoms in Kenya.
Kenyan citizens are asking that Parliament reconvene and formally withdraw the bill, military personnel return to their barracks, and all those who have been abducted by security personnel be released. The Kenyan government must be held accountable for its violence against protesters — a pause of the bill does not erase or ease the disproportionate violence that has been used.