TAX REVOLT IN KENYA

What were the keys to the success of young Kenyans in their confrontation with William Ruto’s government?

January 2025

A case study by Fondemos

KEY POINTS

• In May 2024, the Kenyan government presented a controversial finance bill aimed at increasing taxes to repay national debt.
• Young Kenyans, especially mobilized, used digital tools and social platforms like TikTok and Instagram to initiate the first protests.
• Mass demonstrations began on June 18, 2024, culminating in the storming of Parliament on June 25 and the withdrawal of the bill on June 26.
• The movement was characterized by its use of innovative strategies, such as translating the bill into local languages and using digital tools for mobilization.
• Amnesty International and other organizations denounced police violence, including forced disappearances and extrajudicial executions.

CONTEXT

In May 2024, the Kenyan government submitted the 2024 finance bill. The text aimed primarily to modify the tax system to raise $2.7 billion and reduce the country’s growing debt. The bill included tax hikes on common consumer products and financial services, which sparked strong opposition, particularly among young Kenyans. Concerned about the impact of the measures on their economic future, they initiated the first protests on June 18, 2024.

Hundreds of protesters, mostly young people, gathered in Nairobi to denounce the bill. Police dispersed the crowd with tear gas and arrested 210 people. Despite this, the protests continued and intensified. Police violence was condemned by organizations such as the Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International.

ROLE OF YOUTH AND DIGITAL TOOLS

Young Kenyans took the lead by using social media to raise public awareness. Hashtags such as #RejectFinanceBill2024 and #OccupyParliament emerged on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp. A specific tool called the Finance Bill Chatbot was created by a group of young Kenyan tech activists. This tool, based on ChatGPT, allowed citizens to ask complex questions about the bill and receive clear, detailed answers. It was used to simplify the technical details of the legislative text, break language barriers by translating information into several local languages, and counter misinformation about the bill.

Another innovative strategy involved publishing MPs’ phone numbers to allow citizens to contact them directly. This approach drew national and international attention, amplifying opposition to the bill.

CONSEQUENCES

Under pressure from the protests, Parliament proposed amendments to the bill on June 19, removing some controversial clauses, such as VAT on bread and excise duties on certain products. However, protesters considered these adjustments insufficient and continued to demand a complete rejection of the bill.

Despite the protests, Parliament passed the bill on June 20, with 204 votes in favor and 115 against.

On June 25, 2024, the day of the final vote on the bill, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Kenya’s major cities, denouncing the vote and demanding the resignation of President Ruto, in office since September 2022. In Nairobi, they converged around Parliament and stormed it after the bill’s passage, setting part of the building on fire. Police used force, resulting in deadly violence. This event marked a turning point in the movement, prompting international condemnation and a call for an independent investigation by Amnesty International. According to the latest figures released in September 2024, at least 61 people were killed, 27 went missing, and hundreds more were injured, according to a platform of several Kenyan civil society organizations.

Facing escalating violence and public pressure, President William Ruto announced the withdrawal of the bill on June 26. This decision was seen as a major victory for protesters, but the human cost of the demonstrations was very high.

The political consequences were also numerous. Facing continued signs of discontent, the head of state was forced to dissolve his government on July 11 and integrate opposition members into his new cabinet. Weakened, William Ruto later dismissed his vice president, accusing him of secretly supporting the protest movement, and had to carry out another reshuffle in December to include another faction of the opposition, close to his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Human rights organizations denounced the disproportionate response by security forces. Of the 82 people reported missing since June, 29 were still unaccounted for in December 2024, according to the KNCHR, an independent public body monitoring human rights. Calls for an independent investigation into police violence were issued but went unanswered by the government.

The abductions of government critics continued in the months following the protests. On December 30, 2024, Kenyan police fired tear gas and carried out violent arrests of dozens of peaceful protesters denouncing the disappearances. A Nairobi court ruled on the same day that the security forces must “immediately and unconditionally” release five men who were allegedly abducted, and ordered the police to present them in court on Tuesday or “explain under oath the circumstances of the case” or their whereabouts. None of the missing appeared in court. Police denied involvement in the disappearances, but activists questioned why the cases were not being investigated.

However, in his New Year’s address for 2025, the President stated: “It cannot be denied that there have been cases of excessive and extrajudicial actions by members of the security services.”

CONCLUSION

These protests are a powerful model of citizen mobilization led by an engaged and innovative youth, less dependent on the country’s traditional mobilization frameworks. The movement drew international attention to governance and social justice challenges in Kenya. The digital strategies used marked a turning point in protest organization, enabling effective simplification of key issues and wide dissemination of information via social media. The coordinated use of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp helped overcome language barriers, engage distant communities, and maintain constant pressure on decision-makers by combining digital innovation and physical mobilization.

As is often the case, the protests were triggered by economic concerns that spilled over into the political arena. They developed outside the control of traditional unions and political parties, illustrating a bottom-up, horizontal dynamic that took root across the country. The brutal repression by security forces, far from containing the movement, amplified the anger and determination of the protesters, especially among youth, whose courage was renewed by the feeling they had nothing left to lose. This breaking point—when revolt becomes irreversible—highlights the importance of identifying the triggering factors of a spontaneous uprising and the conditions for its transition into an organized revolution.

SOURCES

1. BBC News, Who are the new faces of protest in Kenya?, published 25/06/2024.
2. Amnesty International, Kenya: Security services must respect fundamental rights, published 02/07/2024.
3. Citizan Digital, This Kenyan-made ChatGPT tool answers your questions about the 2024 Finance Bill, published 13/06/2024.
4. RFI, Kenya: a doctors’ collective denounces repression during recent protests, published 26/09/2024.
5. Amnesty International, Stop the crackdown on people in Kenya, published 06/2024.
6. RFI, Kenya: a doctors’ collective denounces repression during recent protests, published 26/09/2024.
7. France 24, Kenya: President William Ruto withdraws budget bill after deadly protests, published 26/06/2024.
8. Le Monde, “In Kenya, President William Ruto acknowledges abuses by security forces,” published 31/12/2024.
9. Ibid.