Rights activists plan to march countrywide in honour of those killed during anti-government protests
Kenyans plan to march countrywide on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the historic storming of parliament by protesters, to honour those killed during last year’s anti-government protests, but there are fears that the march could escalate into unrest.
Rights activists, family members of killed and missing protesters, and young Kenyans, who were the main drivers of last year’s protests, have mobilised online and offline, with opposition leaders terming the day a “people’s public holiday” and the government warning against attempts to disrupt public order.
Last year’s demonstrations, in which 60 people died and many more disappeared, were prompted by proposed tax increases. They started peacefully on 18 June but later turned chaotic after a violent police response, and people accused of being involved in the protests disappeared and were killed. The demands of the protests then widened to calls for reform and the resignation of the president, William Ruto.
In reaction, Ruto scrapped the finance bill that contained the proposed tax increases and restructured his cabinet to include opposition figures and create a “broad-based” government.
