Kenya President William Ruto has declined to sign into law the Finance Bill 2024, a move that is viewed as victory for the protesters who have over the last two weeks been on the streets opposing the new legislation that introduces more taxes.
In a televised address on Wednesday afternoon, Dr Ruto said he would be sending the Bill to Parliament from where the Senate Majority Leader will formally withdraw it.
“Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” he said.
He instead announced that he would be engaging with the protest leaders on how to undertake spending cuts for the government, including the Presidency.
The announcement is a dramatic turnaround by the President who had on Tuesday after the protests that saw thousands storm Parliament struck a defiant tone and condemned the protests.
Ruto’s decision to withdraw the bill “definitely responds to many of the grievances that protesters raised”, Kenyan political writer and analyst Nanjala Nyabola is quoted you Al Jazeera as saying.
“But unfortunately he’s burnt through a lot of legitimacy and so it remains unclear whether citizens will give him the benefit of the doubt.”