Mombasa youth hold demos, light candles in honour of departed protestors
Youth in Mombasa County have taken to the streets, urging President William Ruto to vacate his office.
The protests occurred in various locations, including Kenyatta Avenue, where demonstrators chanted slogans demanding the president's departure.
Mombasa youth protest
The protesters lit candles to remember those who lost their lives in the demonstrations held earlier in the week.
In Mombasa, anti-government protesters take to the streets. pic.twitter.com/GsxWaknSFE— Tony Anelka (@tonyanelka) June 27, 2024
Among the demonstrators, Okoth Frank voiced his frustration to the media, stating that President Ruto had failed to fulfil his mandate despite the trust many Kenyans had placed in him.
"The reason why I am rejecting Ruto is that he has failed the Kenyan fraternity. Many Kenyans put their trust in him and he has not delivered anything as of now. The only option he has is to vacate the office with Gachagua and his entire crew. We are tired of him," Okoth stated.
When asked why they continued to demonstrate despite the rejection of the Finance Bill, some protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the president's delayed response.
They insisted that they would not stop their demonstrations.
"He has failed in his leadership. He wouldn't have waited for us to demonstrate for him to reject the Bill. Now that we are on the streets, we are not turning back. We have been lied to enough and he must go," one protester remarked.
On Wednesday, President William Ruto declined to sign the controversial Finance Bill 2024, citing the need to align with the popular sentiment of the majority of Kenyans.
Ruto announcement
Ruto announced that he would instead implement austerity measures to reduce operational costs across all government sectors.
The Finance Bill, passed on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, saw 195 members of Parliament voting in favor, 106 against, and three abstentions.
The bill was adopted with amendments, including the removal of the motor vehicle tax and VAT on bread and financial services while maintaining other taxes such as the Railway Development Levy at 2.5 percent on customs value and the import declaration fee at 3.5 percent.
Despite the bill's approval, protests erupted as demonstrators clashed with police outside Parliament and on the streets of Nairobi, hoping the president would not sign it into law.
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