Police offer security as Kilifi youths protest against Finance Bill

Hundreds of protesters mostly the youth on Thursday took to the streets of Kilifi town to protest the finance bill 2024.

The youths called for a total rejection of the bill in parliament. The protesters converged at the Pwani University main gate and marched to the Kilifi CBD through Naivas Supermarket.

The youths demonstrated peacefully while the police kept watch.

Before the protests, contingents of police officers were deployed at the Pwani University gate and other strategic areas to deter any unlawful engagement by the protestors.

The protests took place after religious leaders and human rights groups in Kilifi called for the rejection of the bill.

The newly formed Coast Leaders Council and the human rights group Haki Yetu Organisation have urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to reject the bill.

They argue that the bill will worsen the economic hardship for ordinary Kenyans.

During a press briefing in Kilifi, the CLC interim vice chair Sheikh Juma Ngao stressed that last year’s Finance Bill has already put significant strain on Kenyans.

He warned that the new bill would only make things worse for the average citizen.

Sheikh Ngao reminded MPs to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions, noting that passing the bill today could harm citizens and affect the MPs financially in the future.

Bishop Thomas Kakala who chairs the group urged MPs to act independently and prioritise the welfare of their constituents.

Haki Yetu Organisation condemned police brutality against protestors involved in peaceful demonstrations against the 2024 Finance Bill.

Speaking at a public participation event on the Older Persons Bill 2024 in Kilifi, Haki Yetu’s Executive Director, Peter Kiama, emphasized that police should protect protestors, not disrupt peaceful demonstrations.

Kiama called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) to investigate the police's actions during Tuesday’s protests and hold any officers who violated the constitution accountable.

He also urged MPs to reject the 2024 Finance Bill, arguing that it does not consider the interests of ordinary citizens.