Kenya’s President William Ruto says he will withdraw a finance bill containing controversial tax hikes after deadly protests that saw parliament set ablaze on Tuesday.
In an address to the nation, he said it was clear that Kenyans “want nothing” to do with the bill. “I concede,” he said, adding that he will not sign the bill into law.
“Having reflected on the continuing conversation regarding the content of the Finance Bill 2024, and listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede, and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill,” Ruto said during a television address Wednesday.
“The people have spoken,” Ruto said. “Following the passage of the bill, the country experienced widespread expression of dissatisfaction with the bill as passed, regrettably resulting in the loss of life, the destruction of property and desecration of constitutional institutions.”
Kenya, a nation often praised for its stability, has seen escalating protests over the bill, spearheaded largely by young people.
Last week, the government scrapped some tax increases, including a proposed 16% value-added tax on bread along with taxes on motor vehicles, vegetable oil, and mobile money transfers. But the concessions were not enough to quell protests amid the rising cost of living. On Tuesday they turned deadly when security forces fired teargas and live ammunition at protesters.
“I send my condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this very unfortunate manner,” Ruto added.
“There is a need for us as a nation to pick up from here and go into the future,” Ruto said, adding that he will hold an engagement with young people in Kenya to listen to their ideas and proposals.
At least 22 people were killed in Tuesday’s protests, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHRC).