THEY WANT MORE: Kenyans Now Demand President Ruto Exit in Planned 10-Million March on State House

Although he announced he would not sign the contentious Finance Bill 2024 proposing taxes that Kenyans have vehemently opposed, tens of them with their lives, President William Ruto finds himself in a tough situation as Gen Zs demand his exit.

Until Tuesday, the demands for the resignation of President Ruto were not as pronounced. But the killing of over 20 protesters by police and a night of terror in Githurai further incensed Gen Zs.

Protesters breached the barricade outside parliamentary buildings, accessing them and setting a section of it on fire. After the protests, President Ruto addressed the nation and vowed to punish protesters, labeling them “dangerous criminals” and their actions “treasonous.”

RUTO’S U-TURN & NEW PROPOSALS

The chaos at parliament happened after MPs passed the Finance Bill 2024 and sent it to President Ruto for assent. But a day after the protests across the country, his threats to punish protesters and a resolve to boost deployment with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Ruto announced he would not assent to the Finance Bill 2024.

“Having reflected on the continuing conversation around the content of the finance bill of 2024, I will decline to assent to the bill,” said Ruto. “Therefore, I will not sign the Finance Bill 2024 and it shall be subsequently withdrawn and I have agreed with these members: that shall become our position.”

Ruto also proposed “an engagement with young people of our nation to listen to their issues and agree with them on their priority areas of concern.”

His other proposals is for an engagement with several stakeholders on new austerity measures, anti-graft fight.

“I also propose that within the next 14 days, a multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder engagement be held with a view to charting the way forward on matters relating to the content of the bill as well as auxiliary issues raised in recent days on the need for austerity measures and strengthening our fight against corruption,” said the president.

“I direct immediate further austerity measures to reduce expenditure, starting with the Executive Office of the President and extending to the entire executive arm of government.”

He also issued a directive for the reduction of the operational budget of the presidency to “remove allocations for the confidential vote, reduce travel budget, hospitality and purchase of motor vehicles, renovations and other expenditures.”

RUTO EXIT PROTESTS

With this concession, Ruto and his administration hoped the situation would return to normal. But Gen Zs are demanding more: his resignation over the killing of protesters and for referring to them as protesters.

Largely leaderless, the Gen Z have vowed to march to State House and end Ruto’s rule. His proposal, they say, was too late and offered little. In social spaces after Ruto’s proposals, the Gen Zs discussed the protests to occupy State House.

In the spaces, some vowed not to surrender or even turn back even if Ruto orders the army to shoot them. In any case, they are referring to protesters killed in the demos as ‘martyrs’ and not ‘dangerous criminals’ as the president labelled them.

This is a developing story…

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