Kenya Riots Continue Long After Tax Bill That Allegedly Inspired Them Dies

Riots continued across Kenya on Tuesday, a week after President William Ruto withdrew an unpopular bill that would have raised taxes by over $2.7 billion in an effort to balance the budget. 

Kenyan police made over 270 arrests amid widespread reports of looting and vandalism, while a Kenyan human rights group claimed there have been at least 39 deaths during the protests so far, about double what the government has admitted.

The youth-heavy protest movement barely paused to celebrate withdrawal of the hated tax bill before pressing ahead with demands for Ruto to resign. Hundreds marched in the capital of Nairobi and Kenya’s second city of Mombasa on Tuesday, tooting on vuvuzelas and chanting “Ruto must go!”

The protests turned ugly later on Tuesday, with reports of at least two gunshot victims in Mombasa, fires burning in the streets, paramedics tending to bloodied demonstrators, and growing reports of looting. 

Anti-tax-bill activists claimed their movement was penetrated by violent “infiltrators” who were sent by Ruto’s government to discredit them. Movement leaders asked protesters to suspend their marches and disperse before further violent acts were committed.

“Good people. Let’s go home. As usual the government has let goons take over, loot, and burn property again,” said movement leader Boniface Mwangi.

Other protest leaders echoed the “goons” charge, although some prominent voices in the movement vowed to continue pushing for Ruto’s resignation.

The Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on Tuesday that security forces in cities across the country “singled out suspects found engaging in criminal activities in the guise of protesting, and took them to custody.”

DCI reported 204 arrests in Nairobi and 68 in other parts of the country, and warned more arrests would be forthcoming as security camera and smartphone video was reviewed.

“The DCI has further deployed scrupulous investigators across the affected regions to pursue suspects captured on CCTV cameras and mobile phone recordings violently robbing, stealing and destroying properties and businesses of innocent citizens,” the agency said, seemingly pushing back against activist claims that the violence was coming from government-directed infiltrators.

Ruto has claimed the protest movement was “hijacked” by “criminals” and other “dangerous people,” but he has also promised to listen to their grievances. Some Kenya-watchers said Ruto’s apparent lack of interest in cleaning out corrupt government officials was a major reason the protests have continued.

Ruto said on Monday his government would have to borrow 67 percent more money than anticipated after the withdrawal of the tax hike bill. He promised to look for spending cuts that could help “pull Kenya out of a debt trap.”

On Tuesday, Ruto asked the Kenyan National Treasury to consider delaying an annual pay increase for state employees that would have gone into effect in July. Critics grumbled that pay raises for the highest-ranking government officials will still kick in, including Ruto himself.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR) said on Monday that its records indicate 39 people have been killed during the protests since June 18, plus 32 cases of “enforced or voluntary disappearances” and 627 documented arrests. 

Ruto said there have been 19 deaths in a speech on Sunday and insisted there was no “blood on my hands” from any of them.

KNCHR condemned “the unwarranted violence and force that was inflicted on protesters, medical personnel, lawyers, journalists and on safe spaces such as churches, medical emergency centers and ambulances” by the authorities. 

The human rights watchdog also condemned “violent and shocking acts of lawlessness exhibited by some of the protesters,” but judged that the use of force against protesters was “excessive and disproportionate.”