The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
NAIROBI, Kenya | Xinhua | The hustle and bustle that usually characterizes Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, was absent on Thursday as police patrolled the streets to prevent protestors from entering the city.
Protestors had planned to carry out the second street demonstrations this week, but police on Wednesday evening banned the protests, citing security concerns.
“No demonstrations will be allowed in the Nairobi Central Business District and its surroundings until further notice,” said Douglas Kanja, acting inspector general of police, in a statement.
Uhuru Park in Nairobi, the venue where protestors had said they would converge, was heavily guarded by police officers. All the entries of the public park were manned by anti-riot officers, who did not allow anyone to get in.
Along the streets, more officers patrolled, despite them being nearly empty.
While protestors kept away, some businesses were closed while others were open but with fewer activities.
“People kept off the city center for the sake of violence. But it is all peaceful today, although business is low,” said Victor Wanyama, who runs a men’s cloth stall in the Central Business District.
In Kitengela, some 33 kilometers on the outskirts of Nairobi, businesspersons marched in the town calling for peace and police action to protect their businesses.
However, pockets of violence were however experienced in a few places, including in Email along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway where demonstrators stoned motorists.
Kenya’s government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the country had lost approximately 6 billion shillings (around 45.8 million U.S. dollars) due to the demonstrations.
“Overall, the country has lost approximately 45.8 million dollars according to the Kenya Revenue Authority, as a result of the demonstrations,” Mwaura said, adding that if the protests continue, the economy would have a negative impact in the new financial year.
Mwaura appealed to protestors to reconsider their plans to hold demonstrations in the coming days as their grievances have been addressed.
“The government reaffirms that the president and the whole of the government at large have heard your loud and clear voices, and we are ready to act on your concerns as demonstrated by recent developments,” he said.
President William Ruto has in the past weeks taken a number of drastic steps to meet protestors demands, including dropping new tax proposals contained in the Finance Bill 2024, instituting austerity measures, and sacking his entire cabinet.
Mwaura said the president is committed to having a dialogue with the youth as demonstrated by his recent engagement with them on X, formerly Twitter.
The protests were triggered by Ruto government’s bid to raise more taxes in bid to shore up revenue by some 2.6 billion dollars. ■
