Kenyan police clash with anti-tax hike protesters, dozens arrested
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[July 08, 2023]
By Ayenat Mersie and Humphrey Malalo
NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenyan police on Friday fired tear gas and fought
running battles with opposition supporters in major towns around the
country protesting against a raft of tax hikes.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga called the protests to oppose tax
increases imposed at a time when many are already struggling with high
prices of basic commodities such as maize flour.
Kenya's High Court ordered that the tax hikes be suspended but the
government has raised petrol prices anyway, leading to a further court
challenge.
Police arrested 17 protesters in the capital Nairobi, said a coalition
of human rights groups including Article 19. Another 11 activists were
arrested in other towns, the groups said.
"We witnessed protesters being dragged on the ground," the group of 10
watchdogs said in a statement, calling for an investigation into police
conduct during the protests.
There was no immediate comment by the police on the reports.
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The government says the tax hikes, expected to raise an extra 200
billion shillings ($1.42 billion) a year, are needed to help deal with
growing debt repayments and to fund job-creation initiatives in Kenya,
East Africa's largest economy.
Addressing about 2,000 supporters, Odinga accused President William Ruto
of failing to tackle the high cost of living, poaching opposition
lawmakers and unilaterally moving to reconstitute the election
commission.
"Members of parliament have betrayed the people," he said, adding that
Ruto had also contravened his own promises, justifying a movement for
people to retake back their authority.
Since the two men faced off in a close election won by Ruto last August,
they have clashed over a series of issues around the high cost of living
and management of future elections.
TEAR GAS, STONES
"Ruto is backed into a corner by a number of circumstances; some of his
making, some he inherited," said Fergus Kell, a researcher at London
international affairs think-tank Chatham House, citing past loans and a
tough global economy.
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![](../images/070823PIX/news_a44.jpg)
Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga
of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance,
addresses supporters during an anti-government rally dubbed "Saba
Saba (7th of July) People's March", at the Kamukunji grounds in
Nairobi, Kenya July 7, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
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Odinga is trying to exploit the opportunity, but has not presented
his vision clearly, Kell said.
"I don't think he is necessarily presenting a coherent alternative
agenda to Ruto beyond having a platform to criticize him in what are
very difficult times."
The High Court suspended implementation of the finance law last week
but the government raised the retail prices of petrol, forcing the
opposition senator who lodged the case to seek the jailing of the
head of the energy sector regulator for contempt.
The court will rule on the contempt application on Monday and give
further directions on the main lawsuit the same day.
At the main rally in Nairobi, protesters blew into loud horns and
whistles while others danced. Many yelled "tumechoka!" - Swahili for
'we are tired', as well as "Ruto must go!" and "No Raila no peace."
Some temporarily blocked roads with burning tyres that police later
extinguished, and threw stones at police officers.
Odinga's convoy spent at least two hours trying to access the main
Nairobi business district via different routes, as police blocked
their way with tear gas.
Television news channels showed footage of police firing tear gas to
disperse protesters in the port city of Mombasa, the western city of
Kisumu and town of Kisii also in the west.
($1 = 140.9000 Kenyan shillings)
(Reporting by Ayenat Mersie, Humphrey Malalo and Hereward Holland;
Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Hugh Lawson,
William Maclean)
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