The Bill has provisions granting extensive powers to law enforcement authorities to curb protests deemed disruptive to public order.
According to supplementary estimates before Parliament, the President has taken the lead, ceding Sh1.8 billion that was allocated to his office in the current financial year.
While protests were witnessed in various towns across the country, northern Kenya seems to have been left out of the history-making moment of a revolution by Gen Z, similar to the 1990s agitation for pluralism that was mainly led by a group of politicians then referred to as young Turks.
Today's youth in Kenya are using cultural events and gatherings as catalysts for political transformation. Their participation isn't just symbolic; it's strategic.
The AG dismissed the claims, asserting he had been misquoted as he upholds the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
Some of the upward revised tariff’s touch on items that formed the basis of the public outroar over the currently withdrawn Finance Bill 2024
Christopher Legilisho, an economist at Standard Bank, said the anti-tax demos experienced during the month did enough to restrain output and new business because customers delayed spending decisions amid uncertainty.
Amnesty stressed the need for the National Police Service (NPS) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to strictly operate within the confines of the law during the #OccupyEverywhere protests.
The demonstrations entered their third week on Tuesday, with members of the public, who started with the #RejectFinanceBill campaign, calling for President William Ruto's resignation.
On the issue of abductions and arbitrary arrests, the commission cited 32 reported cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances and 627 arrests.
President Ruto appeared to downplay protest calls for his resignation, for reasons including a bloated budget, mega corruption, excessive taxation, and the lack of proper basic services.
While explaining that his work, since taking office in September 2022, has been to pull Kenya out of the debt trap, he regretted that the rejection of the bill would come with serious consequences.
Critics have warned the youth against participating in the discussions, citing past grievances brought before the government that have remained unaddressed.
The leaders expressed concern over conflicting statements from the Executive branch regarding the protests and their aftermath.
Human rights organisations have documented three deaths during the protests in Mombasa, two from gunshot wounds and one from teargas inhalation.
The Land Amendment Bill No. 2 of 2023 seeks to introduce a new clause that mandates freehold landowners to pay land rent, a move that has sparked widespread scepticism and concern among the public.
Ruto's move was unexpected given his statement on Tuesday night, in which he called actions by protesters, who invaded Parliament and caused distraction, treasonous.
Out of these, 23 of the deaths were recorded between 7 am and 6 pm across the county while 30 others were recorded at night in the Githurai area.
Wetang'ula said the invasion shook the country to the core, resulting in the loss of lives close to the Parliament precincts.
