‘Kenya is not asleep anymore’: Why young protesters are not backing down
Four people were shot dead during the protests on July 16, allegedly by police.
The number of casualties has been on the rise since demonstrations first started, with more than 50 people killed since June, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. A Kenyan protester
A contentious finance bill aimed to raise $2.7bn triggered many Kenyans.
At the height of it, demonstrators stormed parliament and burned part of it after MPs passed the controversial bill on June 25. Several people were killed that day – one right outside Parliament.
Since then, the protests have become a weekly affair.
President Ruto eventually succumbed to pressure and returned the bill to Parliament for further amendments. He has yielded to some demands made by Kenyans.
He fired cabinet secretaries but then reappointed half the cabinet – individuals some Kenyans rejected because they want the president to select technocrats with integrity, not political cronies. Ruto’s reappointments triggered more anger.
