- A group of activists requested Kenyans to turn up in large numbers around Parliament to protest against the Finance Bill, 2024.
- Tuesday’s protests coincided with the tabling of the Finance Bill, 2024 in the House.
Image: HANDOUT
Politicians were conspicuously missing during Tuesday’s protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District to oppose the Finance Bill, 2024.
Past anti-government protests have largely been called and organised by Opposition politicians but during the latest round of demos, activists have been the driving force.
Last year around the same time, Opposition chief Raila Odinga called deadly anti-government protests over soaring cost of living, tax hikes and alleged malpractice in the 2022 presidential election.
Tuesday’s protests dubbed Occupy Parliament coincided with the tabling of the Bill in the House.
Though the Opposition coalition Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance has directed its MPs to oppose the Finance Bill, 2024, its lawmakers did not participate in Occupy Parliament protests.
“Kenyans deserve better and we will not stop fighting for them to be given the voice and direction they so richly deserve,” Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka said on June 14, 2024.
On Monday, a group of activists requested Kenyans to turn up in large numbers around Parliament to protest against the Finance Bill, 2024.
Organisers directed its participants to dress in black and to carry placards with messages rejecting the tax proposals.
One of the organisers, Boniface Mwangi, said Kenyans from every part of the country convened in various parts of the city to march to Parliament.
The ‘Occupy Parliament’ protests are meant to influence and pressurise MPs to vote against the bill and its proposed taxes which have been perceived as ‘punitive’.
Protesters were asked to maintain sobriety and calm, but as the march to Parliament began, clashes between protestors and the police erupted.
Mwangi claimed that some of the protest’s organisers and social media mobilisers were arrested.
Protestors convened at Ambassadeur/Archives, Nation Centre, Supreme Court, Skate Park, Taifa Road, Kencom Stage and City Hall Way.
A counter-movement sought to quell the popularity of the #Rejectfinancebill hashtag.
Those against the protests have argued that the concerns of the protesters have been addressed by the Finance and National Planning Committee led by Molo MP Kuria Kimani.
The committee dropped several tax proposals in the Bill after concluding public participation.
Addressing a press conference at State House in Nairobi, Kimani said the proposals were dropped to protect Kenyans from the high cost of living.