Chaos in Kenya: Tear Gas Fired at Anti-Ruto Protesters Over Tax Hikes and Corruption

Kenyan police fired tear gas at protesters demanding President Ruto's resignation amid a series of concessions and growing unrest. Demonstrators, sparked by tax hikes and allegations of misgovernance, continued to rally despite the president's actions. The unrest has become Ruto's biggest crisis in his two years in office.

Kenyan police fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse hundreds of protesters who aimed to maintain pressure on President William Ruto despite his concessions to demonstrators' demands.

Leading activists, who initially protested proposed tax hikes, called for a 'total shutdown' of the country. The ongoing unrest represents the biggest crisis in Ruto's two years of leadership, persisting even after he withdrew $2.7 billion in tax hikes and dismissed nearly his entire cabinet. Many demonstrators are calling for Ruto's resignation, accusing him of misgovernance, corruption, and responsibility for the deaths of dozens of protesters.

In the town of Kitengela, on the outskirts of Nairobi, around 200 protesters burned tyres and chanted 'Ruto must go' and 'Stop killing us,' leading police to use tear gas. Similar scenes unfolded in Nairobi city centre and the coastal city of Mombasa. Although Ruto's office announced upcoming 'multi-sectoral' talks to address the grievances, most leading activists have rejected the invitation, seeking immediate action on issues like corruption.

Kenya, which spends over 30% of its revenues on debt interest, faces a dilemma as it balances lenders' demands to reduce deficits with the needs of a population suffering from rising living costs. The protests, which began peacefully, have turned violent. On June 25, some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament, leading to police opening fire. Rights groups report that more than 40 people have died in the unrest. Ruto accused the Ford Foundation of funding the violence without evidence, a claim the Foundation denied while reaffirming its non-partisan grant-making policy.