Anger: Police used tear gas and batons to disperse demonstrators protesting proposed tax increases. The violence prompted the president to withdraw the finance bill. Photo: Boniface Musoni/Getty Images
TKenya's presidency said on Wednesday it had ordered a review of pay increases for civil servants in a move to ease tensions following a wave of deadly anti-government protests.
The economic hardships and rising cost of living facing most Kenyans have fuelled public anger over what the protesters see as rampant government waste.
Demonstrations led by Kenya's Gen Z members against proposed tax increases have grown into a broader movement calling for President William Ruto's resignation and action against corruption and wasteful spending by his government.
Dozens of people have been killed since initially peaceful rallies began more than two weeks ago, and police have been accused of using excessive force against protesters.
It is the most serious crisis Kenya, often hailed as a symbol of stability in a volatile region, has faced since President Ruto took office in September 2022.
The latest protests on Tuesday again descended into chaos, with police firing tear gas at stone-throwing crowds.
Widespread looting and damage to property has been reported, particularly in the capital Nairobi and the rebel stronghold port city of Mombasa.
President Ruto's spokesman, Hussein Mohammed, said in a statement on X that the presidency had ordered the Ministry of Finance to review the salaries and benefits of civil servants and members of parliament.
The move follows Mr Ruto's decision last week to withdraw a finance bill containing highly unpopular tax increases after the deadliest riots on June 25, when police fired live ammunition at protesters and crowds ransacked Parliament.
“The president stressed that now, more than ever, it is time for the executive branch and all arms of government to live within their means,” Mohammed said.
Ruto has also promised to scrap office allowances for the first lady and vice president, which media reports said will save 1.2 billion shillings ($9.3 million). New pay structures for national and county civil servants are due to take effect on July 1, but details of the increases were not immediately available.
“It is not sustainable for 900,000 civil servants at both levels of government to consume 1.1 trillion shillings ($8.5 billion) per year,” Public Service Minister Moses Kuria said in a statement.
He said this represented 47 percent of national revenue, “leaving 53 percent for the remaining 54 million Kenyans to cover debt servicing, development and other expenditure.”
Kuria said that under a law adopted in 2012, public servant salary expenditures cannot exceed 35 percent of the state budget.
“This is more of a moral and ethical issue than an economic one,” he added.
Activists have called for more rallies using the hashtag “RutoMustGo,” but it is unclear how widely the call will be received. Some protesters have said the violence was instigated by “thugs” who have hijacked the demonstrations.
Police said they arrested more than 270 people posing as protesters committing crimes on Tuesday.
“Security forces across the country have identified and detained suspects engaged in criminal activities under the guise of protests,” the Criminal Investigations Agency said in a statement posted on X late Tuesday.
A total of 204 suspects were arrested in the Nairobi area, while a further 68 were arrested in other parts of the country, they said.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has accused the police themselves of using “excessive and disproportionate” force against protesters.
The KNCHR said on Monday that 39 people had been killed and 361 injured during the two-week rally, but has not given an updated death toll since then.
The bloodshed has further angered protesters, whose anger has not subsided despite President Ruto's calls to reverse his tax hike policy and engage with Kenyan youth.
Ruto has argued that the fiscal measures taken by his administration were necessary to run the government and repay a huge public debt of about 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion), or about 70 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Analysts said Mr Ruto made the situation worse by likening some of the protesters to “criminals” and praising the police for “doing their best”.
“There is a widespread sense that Chancellor Root is out of touch with both the public's concerns and the gravity of this crisis,” said Declan Galvin, managing director at Exigent Risk Advisory.
“If there is no change of course in the coming days, Mr Ruto's meteoric rise and political career could be tarnished.”
—AFP
