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"Enough is Enough": Kenyan President Calls for an End to Protests

 


"Enough is Enough": Kenyan President Calls for an End to Protests

President Ruto's Stance on Protests

  • Kenyan President William Ruto: Stated that ongoing protests in the country must stop.
  • Statement: “I want to promise you that it is going to stop, enough is enough,” said Ruto after a church service in Bomet County, west of Nairobi.

Government's Actions and Promises

  • Commitment to Safety: Ruto emphasized the need to protect the nation, life, property, and uphold democracy.
  • Response to Demands: His administration has made significant concessions, including rejecting the Finance Bill 2024 and dismissing nearly the entire Cabinet.
  • Continued Protests: Despite these measures, protests persist.

Addressing Protesters' Demands

  • Finance Bill Rejection: Ruto mentioned dropping the Finance Bill after protesters opposed it.
  • Attempts at Dialogue: He reached out to protest leaders for talks, but they refused to meet.
  • Importance of National Interest: Ruto stressed that the nation's well-being is more important than any group’s demands.

Cabinet Reshuffle

  • New Cabinet Formation: On July 19, Ruto nominated 11 individuals for a broad-based Cabinet, retaining six of the initial 22 Cabinet secretaries and introducing five new faces. 
  • Mr Ruto said he had promised Kenyans he would "craft a broad-based government that would harness the enormous potential in our country to turbocharge our economic transformation and inclusive growth". 
  • However, many Kenyans expected the new cabinet to not contain figures from the old one. They also expected it to be younger and dominated by professionals from various industries, as opposed to long-time politicians and presidential allies.

Opposition's Demands

  • Opposition Leader Raila Odinga: Called for justice before any dialogue.
  • Demands: Compensation for victims of police brutality, dismissal of protest-related cases, and release of detainees.
  • National Conversation: Proposed involving diverse representatives to address governance, cost of living, tribalism, corruption, and fiscal management.     


Some of Mr Odinga's fellow party leaders, including his former presidential running mate Martha Karua, said they would not participate in a coalition government with Mr Ruto.

Ms Karua said it was time to "clean up the country", adding that young people were already leading the way in doing so.

Ongoing Unrest

  • Violent Demonstrations: The country has seen weeks of protests resulting in at least 50 deaths and widespread property damage.
  • Youth Protests: Protesters vow to continue demonstrating, calling for Ruto's resignation.

Accusations Against Ford Foundation

  • Funding Allegations: The Kenyan government has accused the US-based Ford Foundation of funding the recent anti-government

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