NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 9 – The NGO Council of Kenya is calling on the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Coalition leadership to suspend a protest rally planned for Wednesday and give dialogue a chance.
In a statement, Council Chairman Stephen Cheboi expressed regret that the Raila Odinga-led coalition had opted for protests well knowing it was unable to control goons and criminal elements from taking advantage of ‘peaceful protests’.
“Let’s always observe peace as a nation. We should be united as the people of Kenyan; as an umbrella Organization of all NGOs and other CSOs calls for sobriety and dialogue through the Bi-Partisan approach to resolve thorny issues,” he said following Friday demonstrations called by Odinga against tax hikes in the Finance Bill.
Police on Friday fired tear gas in the capital Nairobi, targeting Odinga’s convoy, and took similar steps against demonstrations in the cities of Mombasa and Kisumu.
Two people were shot dead in Kisumu and another in Migori while over 100 were arrested and are due in court Monday.
On Saturday, police used tear gas on civil society representatives, including former chief justice Willy Mutunga, who were demanding the release of dozens of people taken into custody during the protests, campaigners said.
The NGO Council has warned against political leaders who have resorted to holding the public at ransom as they pursue their own selfish agenda.
Cheboi expressed concerns that the country may have lost billions as a result of Friday’s protest.
“We as a council respect the rule of law and the constitutional right for assembly but this should not be done at the expense of wananchi who had to close down businesses for fear of looters after others were robbed,” he said adding that many others stayed home while reports indicate several planes ferrying tourists to Nairobi were diverted to Dar es Salaam and Kampala in the neighbouring countries.
Raila led a Saba Saba rally on Friday which marked the beginning of civil disobedience aimed at denying President William Ruto taxes in protest of the controversial Finance Bill passed two weeks ago.
The 78-year-old lost the August 2022 election to Ruto and has repeatedly denounced the poll as “stolen”.
Last week, Ruto signed into law a finance bill expected to generate more than $2.1 billion for the government’s depleted coffers and help repair the heavily-indebted economy.
The Finance Act provides for new taxes or increases on basic goods such as fuel and food and mobile money transfers, as well as a controversial levy on all tax-payers to fund a housing scheme.
The government says the taxes will help create jobs and reduce public borrowing.
The Nairobi high court last month suspended implementation of the legislation after a senator filed a case challenging its constitutional legality.
But Kenya‘s energy regulator nevertheless announced a hike in pump prices after the doubling of VAT to 16 percent as stipulated in the law.
