Police use teargas to disperse protesters during an anti-government demonstration calling for the resignation of President William Ruto in Nairobi, Kenya, July 16, 2024.
Tensions were high in Kenya’s capital Tuesday as opponents of embattled President William Ruto planned another day of protests demanding his resignation.
Police were seen in force throughout Nairobi, with Reuters saying police fired tear gas at protesters in the city center, as well as the nearby town of Kitengela, as they chanted “Ruto must go.”
Protests in Kenya began last month in reaction to a proposed finance bill that would have imposed across-the-board tax hikes on ordinary Kenyans, including new levies on bread, car ownership and financial transactions, that the government said would have raised at least $1.5 billion in revenues.
The demonstrations began peacefully but descended into violence as protesters clashed with security forces, leaving at least 39 Kenyans dead. President Ruto eventually dropped the proposed tax hikes and fired nearly his entire cabinet in a bid to placate the protests.
The protests have continued on a smaller scale, with demonstrators calling for an end to corruption and justice for victims of alleged police brutality.
