President William Ruto, faced with pressure from the international community and his options wearing thin amid heightened deadly anti-tax protests, beat a hasty retreat eating humble pie on the controversial Finance Bill, 2024.
With all eyes on his next move after his much-criticised Tuesday evening address to the Nation, the President climbed down from his earlier hardline, saying he will not sign the bill altogether.
On Tuesday, the Head of State did not address the growing outrage over the controversial finance bill and instead laid blame on “dangerous criminals” for being behind the fatal protests.
But with the noose getting tighter around his administration with another round of protest planned for today (Thursday, June 27), President Ruto made a hasty about-turn to send condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the demonstrations.
Adopting a humble demeanour, the President further said he would not sign the controversial bill and would instead send it back to Parliament with a memorandum outlining his rejection.
He said the decision is collective and hence will not be challenged by MPs and were it to be challenged, it would take 233 out of 349 MPs, or a two-thirds majority, to overturn his decision.
“…listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this finance bill, I concede and therefore I will not sign it and it shall consequently be withdrawn…,” said Dr Ruto.
The development was therefore a swift climb down by the President, who had earlier cut an abrasive mien warning that his administration is ready to deploy its security apparatus to secure “our nation” following the unprecedented demonstrations that left at least six people dead.
Reducing the protests to treasonous events, the President came out guns blazing, saying the demonstration was hijacked by dangerous criminals who reigned terror on innocent people and attempted to challenge “our law enforcement deployments”. He argued that the events “mark a critical turning point in how we respond to grave threats to our national security”.
“I assure the nation that the Government has mobilised all the resources at the nation’s disposal to ensure that a situation of this nature will not recur again, at whatever cost,” said the Commander-in-Chief.
“It is not in order or even conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established under our constitution and expect to go Scot-Free,” he added.
