Since the 19th of June, thousands of Kenyan youths have taken to major streets across the country to protest the tax hikes in a proposed finance bill by the government of Kenya in parliament. According to the protesters, the bill includes new taxes and fees on essential items and services like bread, sanitary pads, and mobile phones. They argue that the bill’s tax hikes and levies would exacerbate the country’s already dire cost-of-living crisis.
Dubbed #OccupyParliament or #RejectFinanceBill2024, the protests began in Nairobi, the capital city, before spreading to other parts of the country including the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa, the Rift Valley city of Nakuru and the opposition bastion of Kisumu. The protests aimed at putting pressure on lawmakers and members of the Kenyan parliament to reject the finance bill.
