Protesters burned down the ruling party offices: a case study of the Rwandan President William Ruto and the issue of tax reform in Kenya

The Nation newspaper reported that protesters burned down the ruling party offices. The Citizen TV showed footage of the police confronting protesters in the streets.

Protesters had demanded that legislators vote against the bill imposing new taxes on a country, East Africa’s economic hub, where frustrations over the high cost of living have simmered for years. The youth who supported President William Korto to be in power went to the streets to argue with the pain of reforms.

But lawmakers voted to pass the bill, then fled through a tunnel as protesters, many of them youth, outmaneuvered police to enter parliament. Protesters allowed opposition legislators who voted against the bill to walk out of the besieged building. The fire was put out.

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan President William Ruto says he will not sign into law a controversial tax bill that has sparked widespread protests across the country, but activists said demonstrations will continue.

The deadly demonstrations against the finance bill in Kenya on Tuesday, July 13 – a day after the U.N. Human Rights Commission

Police used tear gas to break up the protesters at the medical tent near the parliament complex. The hospital said it had received 45 victims, but it was not clear if any of them were dead.

This comes as human rights bodies announced a rise in the death toll after Tuesday’s deadly protests outside parliament. The Kenya Human Rights Commission issued a statement condemning the response by police, who have been accused of using heavy-handed tactics during these protests, including live rounds on crowds, beatings and even abductions.

On Sunday, Ruto tried to calm the rising public tensions over the finance bill, saying he was proud of the young Kenyans who had come out to exercise their democratic duty. He said he would engage them on their concerns.

The youth last week announced they were united to keep the government in check as fuel prices have gone up and basic necessities have gone up. In Nairobi, a regional hub for expatriates and home to a major United Nations complex, the inequality among Kenyans has sharpened along with long-held frustrations over state corruption.

Opposition to the finance bill has united a large part of the country, with some explicitly rejecting the tribal divisions that had torn Kenya apart in the past. Some who had supported a certain person felt betrayed.

Protesters tried to storm the State House, according to a witness. There were clashes in the western lakeside city of Kisumu. The governor of the second largest city in the country joined the protesters and expressed his support.

One media outlet, broadcaster KTN, issued a statement saying that “we have received threats from the authorities to shut us down” as coverage continued.

A national gathering of Catholic bishops urged police not to attack protesters and pleaded with the government to listen to citizens’ pain over the “unwarranted” taxes, saying “the country is bleeding … families are immensely suffering.”

The Ethiopian protests against a finance bill: the biggest challenge for Ruto, who is supposed to be an ally of the West

The Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo said earlier Tuesday that 50 Kenyans, including her personal assistant, had been “abducted” by people believed to be police officers.

Some of those missing included those who were vocal in the demonstrations and were taken from their homes, workplaces and public spaces ahead of Tuesday’s protests, according to civil society groups.

Police officials did not return calls. The Inspector general of police was directed by the speaker of parliament to provide information on the people that have been reported kidnapped.

The unrest and police response abroad have created some awkward aspects to the situation, especially at a time when the UN-backed force in Haiti was being led by a group of Kenyan police officers.

“I have heard loud and clear that the people of your country want nothing to do with this finance bill, that’s why I won’t sign it,” he said in a national address on Wednesday.

He expressed regret at the loss of life and destruction of property during the protests that took place after Tuesday’s vote in parliament, acknowledging the country had witnessed widespread expression of discontent.

The president said that his government would widen austerity measures and that he would be cutting his office travel expenses. The bill was sent back to parliament for amendments.

But protesters have vowed to march on Thursday across the country to call for the resignation of the president and all members of parliament who voted for the bill this week.

The protests are the biggest challenge yet for Ruto, who demonstrators say has failed to improve the lives of millions of young people who voted for him two years ago.

It is a serious blow for the man who has claimed himself to be a strong ally of the West but also faces serious questions about his handling of the protests.

The “Gen Z” protest against the proposed $rm Tto to t$-$20th amendment”

College students call themselves the “Gen Z”, who galvanized the opposition to the bill on social media, and are the majority of the protesters.

Protesters said that the taxes would make life more difficult by making transportation and production more expensive, as well as raising the cost of things such as cooking oil, sanitary pads and diapers.