- Kenyans across the country led by the young people known as Gen Z took to the streets to demand accountability and good governance from the government.
- Ruto bowed to pressure and rejected the Finance Bill and referred it back to Parliament for deletion of all the clauses. He also dismissed his cabinet.
Image: SOLOMON MUINGI
President William Ruto has said the Gen Z-led protests gave the country a chance to rebuild.
Kenyans across the country led by the young people known as Gen Z took to the streets to demand accountability and good governance from the government.
The protests put the President under pressure leading to him rejecting the Finance Bill 2024 which sparked the street protests.
He also dissolved his previous cabinet and is in the process of reconstituting a new one which he said is broad-based and represents all Kenyans.
"Yale mambo yametokea, sio maneno mabaya zaidi kwa sababu yametupatia nafasi ya kutengeneza Kenya mpya," Ruto said.
(What we have witnessed is not so bad in the end because it has given us a chance to rebuild our country afresh).
Ruto bowed to pressure and rejected the Finance Bill and referred it back to Parliament for deletion of all the clauses.
He then introduced a raft of measures in the government including austerity measures to cut government spending.
Speaking on Sunday in Mwatate, Taita Taveta county, the President said the Finance Bill, whose passage sparked the street protests, fell because of propaganda and rumours.
He said that most of the development projects he had planned to implement were contained in the Finance Bill.
The Bill sought to raise Sh346 billion additional revenue through the introduction of new taxes which most Kenyans deemed punitive.
"Ile budget ililetewa kizungumkuti ikaenda segemnege, wengine wakapiga no, hiyo kitu yote ikapotea," he said.
(The budget is now in limbo, some vote No and all that was lost)
The President said claims that there was a clause in the Bill on taxation of land and cancer patients was all falsehoods.
"Sasa imerudi tena niende nifanye ukarabati ingine, na ni fitina tupu, ooh sijui imewekwa mambo ya cancer, sijui imewekwa nini ya mashamba na yote ni porojo na uongo lakini ya Mungu ni meng," he said.
The President addressed Mwatate, Taita Taveta residents promising to complete stalled government projects in the country.
He, however, said some of the projects had been budgeted for in the rejected Finance Bill and therefore their completion is likely to delay.
Ruto on Wednesday made public his final list of Cabinet nominees save for two slots: Attorney General and EAC and the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), and Regional Development.
Ruto has so far nominated 2o individuals to head respective dockets in his government.
The President nominated Kipchumba Murkomen for the Ministry of Youths and Sports, Rebecca Miano for the Ministry of Tourism, Justin Muturi for the Ministry of Public Service, Salim Mvurya to head the Ministry of Trade and Alfred Mutua for the Ministry of Labour.
Ruto further nominated members allied with Opposition leader Raila Odinga to the cabinet.
He named Hassan Joho for the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, Wycliffe Oparanya for Cooperatives and MSME Development, John Mbadi for the Ministry of National Treasury and Opiyo Wandayi has been nominated to head the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.