Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of a controversial finance bill that proposed contentious tax hikes.
The decision follows violent clashes between police and protesters at the assembly and across the nation, which resulted in at least 23 deaths and numerous injuries, according to medical sources.
“Listening keenly to the people of Kenya, who have loudly expressed their rejection of the finance bill 2024, I concede. Therefore, I will not sign the 2024 finance bill, and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” Ruto declared in a televised address.
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The President stated his intention to initiate dialogue with Kenyan youth and implement austerity measures, starting with cuts to the presidency’s budget, to balance the country’s finances.
This move marks a significant victory for the protest movement, which began a week ago with online condemnations of the tax increases and escalated into mass rallies demanding a political overhaul. The protests have presented the most severe crisis in Ruto’s two-year presidency.
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