A new breed of protest has left Kenya’s president tottering
President Ruto has capitulated to people power and cancelled hated tax increases
Though Kenya’s equilibrium is occasionally punctured by bouts of political unrest, the country is generally seen as fairly stable, prosperous and liberal. Such cosy assumptions, however, were rudely jolted by tax riots, which reached a deadly peak on June 25th. Overwhelming the police in Nairobi, the capital, protesters broke into Parliament, set fire to a section of it, pinched the mace and forced terrified MPs to flee. The security forces responded with live fire, killing at least 23 people.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Breaking the budget”
Middle East & Africa June 29th 2024
From the June 29th 2024 edition
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