Unpacking June 25: Cries For Change Become Echoes From Fallen Fighters

It was a turnout like no other. Numbering in the hundreds of thousands, Kenyans took to the streets once again, this time with renewed spirits, apt determination and armed with nothing more than a bottle of water, a handkerchief and placards.

 It was not merely #RejectFinanceBill2024, Kenyans united to demand a complete shutdown of the nation (#TotalShutdownKe), among other hashtags that topped the trending topics. All these adding fuel to the fire and calling for the ousting of the president.

The nation witnessed a spectacular show of solidarity and defiance across all major cities, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Eldoret, Nairobi, Kisumu, Kakamega and Nyeri as they marched in droves to protest the passing of the controversial Finance Bill.

Over the past weekend, as many as a dozen people had been abducted by masked individuals, reportedly under orders by the government, and these allegations only served to inflate Kenyans’ anger as they saw it as intimidation by a regime that feels powerless to stem the fury of the masses.

Notable activists had also been summoned to record statements after they were accused of supposedly leading last week’s protests.

These series of events have attracted the attention of various human rights groups and the international press who were keen to monitor the unfolding situation and have repeatedly called out the Kenyan government for defaulting on its commitment to end extrajudicial acts.

Chief Justice, Martha Koome, has also criticised the government for these actions stating that they "amount to a direct assault on the rule of law, human rights and constitutionalism."

Following last week’s parliamentary reading of the proposed bill, which saw a majority of the Members of Parliament vote YES, the bill was set to enter the Committee Stage on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

Kenyans On X (KOX) and many others on multiple social media sites have been on a mission to educate Kenyans on the propositions present in the bill. Individuals from various academic disciplines heeded the call and utilised chat rooms on X and Tiktok to educate the young and old alike on the contentious issues put forth in the bill.

Just recently, translated versions of the Finance Bill into different vernacular languages including Gusii, Kikuyu, Somali and Embu were made available for ease of digestibility.

As Kenyans geared up for another showdown this Tuesday ahead of the committee voting on the Finance Bill, many, especially the young people, brought normal business to a standstill in major towns. Expecting tear gas aplenty during the peaceful protests, they hid behind gas masks and used nifty tricks to avoid irritation such as carrying toothpastes for when the gases went up.

Once the results of the Parliamentary voting were in, with 195 voting a resounding YES and 106 voting NO, Kenyans began trending certain hashtags that called protesters in the streets to storm parliament grounds in Nairobi. In other counties, reports indicated demonstrators taking out their anger on businesses owned by MPs who voted YES.

Chieni Supermarket, owned by Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina, was looted and vandalised by individuals. Similarly, Molo Constituency MP Kimani Kuria’s house was torched by residents in a string of terrifying attacks against target MPs countrywide.

It is unclear however if this was done by peaceful protestors or rowdy mobs.

Zealots to the #RejectFinanceBill2024 motion did not back down as more and more people took to the roads, paralysing much in the way of transport along the busy Thika superhighway.

Protestors made their way, on foot, to the already heavily guarded Parliament building, where they were met with brutal force by anti-riot police.

This altercation has so far resulted in the deaths of several people and injuries to over 31 individuals as reported by Amnesty International and other human rights groups. Grizzly images of the violence that took place on site are reminiscent of past protests that were occasioned by crowds scattered every which way as plumes of smoke billowed from burning cars.

Many correspondents recon that these events mirror those of the 1982 coup and the 2007 post election violence that mired power struggles in the nation.

In an ironic twist, residents of Eldoret, the president’s hometown, took down banners that bore the president’s name in a move they can only term as betrayal by one of their own.

Similarly, throngs of people made the long march to their respective county parliaments, such as in Laikipia, in a bid to gain entry to the grounds.

By 2.55pm, this bold move was successful in Nairobi’s Parliament buildings as police and protestors engaged fiercely. After failing to cordon off the chambers against the thousands of protestors, the National Parliament was eventually seized by the howling crowds who managed to gain entry to the offices and the Senate.

Early comers capitalised on this once in a lifetime opportunity to treat themselves to the scrumptious culinary delicacies present in the cafeteria as MPs cowered in the Parliament basement fearing for their lives, certain that hell hath no fury like Kenyans at that moment.

It was only later that the Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, acting under the pretext of a security emergency caused by the ongoing violent protests, dispatched military troops within Nairobi to beef up an overwhelmed security force around critical government buildings.  

Chaos in the city centre only intensified as live bullets were reported to have been used against protestors resulting in a number of deaths.

The storming of the Parliament building closely resembles the January 2021 Capitol attack in the US which saw hundreds of protestors infiltrate Capitol grounds and managed to overpower security forces. They quickly gained entry to the complex, making sure to ransack and destroy property while legislators hid in secure rooms.

Rioters in Parliament did not shy from desecrating the institutions and emblems of power while taking out their anger on furniture and flags while chanting calls that ‘RUTO MUST GO!’

The siren calls to action more inviting, more sonorous than ever.

Kenyans have taken to X to voice their anger, fanning the flames of a revolution and change as they witness their elected leaders sell them out by voting YES to the bill. Residents of respective constituencies whose MPs okayed the bill have only grown irate by the days lamenting that their representatives have failed them! This has led to massive destruction of governments and individual property.

Various threats have been made against media houses as KTN claimed there was ‘a threat of shutdown by government authorities’ for covering the ongoing protests. KTN asserted its commitment to remaining impartial and defending public interests. Multiple contraventions of the law have been the talk of the past week as Kenyans demand, with one unwavering voice, that there must be a complete overhaul of the government.

Opposition leader, Raila Odinga has stood firm in his protest against the government's handling of the situation and calling on the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) to intervene and monitor the protests. He affirmed his position on the Finance Bill that “the starting point to end this impasse and cruel bloodletting is for the government to immediately and unconditionally withdraw the Finance Bill and make way for a fresh start and dialogue.”

Former president, Uhuru Kenyatta also broke his silence and called for engagements between the government and the people.

The silence of the government and the church has also been worrisome as more Kenyans decry the killings that took place on Tuesday and the harassment of independent media outlets. Despite the president's brief national address last evening, where he categorically termed the day's events as a ‘treasonous act’ by dangerous individuals keen to discredit his regime, his utterances did little to salve the wounds of a bleeding nation only promising a swift response following Tuesday's events.

Its cup runneth over even as Kenyans continue to exercise their civic duty to protest, resolute to make sure the Finance Bill does not see the light of day come July 1, 2024.