Police in Nairobi have clashed with protesters demanding the resignation of President William Ruto. Discover the details of these violent confrontations.
On Thursday, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, protesters demanding for President William Ruto’s resignation were met with tear gas launched by the police.
The city’s businesses were shut down and public transportation vehicles refrained from entering the central business district, in which they typically run.
As a new cabinet was being sworn in, activists who were dissatisfied with Ruto organized demonstrations.
After several weeks of consistent protests in favor of reform, the president cancelled proposed tax increases and revamped his cabinet by adding members from opposing factions.
However, despite activists and protesters demanding comprehensive changes and achieving a victory, it seems that there are still some who find the result unsatisfactory.
Nicole Awuori, a protester, stated that she attended in remembrance of the individuals lost during the march and their pursuit for government accountability.
“My protest is in support of those individuals who have been denied numerous opportunities due to dysfunctional systems.”
On June 18th, protests began demanding that lawmakers vote against the contentious finance bill which enforced increased taxes.
After legislators passed the bill on June 25, protesters infiltrated parliament and Ruto declared that he would revoke it.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reports that over 50 individuals have lost their lives following the commencement of protests.
Despite the inclusion of opposition figures in the new cabinet, many residents did not participate in protests on Thursday as major towns and cities remained peaceful.
Ruto expressed his disapproval of the protests and encouraged Kenyans to refrain from participating, arguing that those seeking change have the opportunity to vote him out during the 2027 elections.
