The News:
- Kenya's President William Ruto has declined to sign the contentious 2024 Finance Bill as the bill faces continued opposition and has even sparked a protest.
- The President has reportedly returned the bill to Parliament for further consideration. Now, Parliament must decide whether to amend the bill, abandon it, or attempt to pass it again.
- This development comes just before the President’s expected signing of the bill on Thursday and amid potential demonstrations by Kenyans on the same day.
The Kenyan Finance Bill 2024, first introduced in May, scaled second reading after being passed by a majority vote of 205 against 115 in the parliament. Following the vote, the bill proceeded to the committee stage. However, the President has declined to assent to the Bill and has moved it back to the parliament.
Citizens are expressing outrage over the bill due to its economic impact, which introduces new tax measures on everyday essentials such as edible oil, bread, and sanitary pads.
The #RejectFinanceBill has been a hot topic online showing the stance of citizens on the bill. The bill, proposed by the Kenyan government for the 2024/25 tax year, aims to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes to reduce the budget deficit and state borrowing, sparking nationwide protests.
Protest over the bill has reportedly claimed the lives of at least five people, leaving others, including journalists and paramedics injured.
Meanwhile, Kenya is experiencing a significant drop in Internet connectivity, with networks across the nation experiencing nearly a 40% decrease on Tuesday, June 25. Concerns have arisen among the public, speculating that the outages might be intentional to restrict sharing of events and media coverage.
The move came after the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) said it had no plans to shut down the Internet or degrade connectivity quality.
While the President has postponed signing the Bill, it remains unclear when the raised concerns will be addressed. Nonetheless, reports indicate that the office of the President will soon make an address to the nation.
