23 DEAD, RUTO STAGGERS BACK, WITHDREW TAX HIKES

 

Kenyan President William Ruto has withdrew planned tax hikes, bowing to pressure from protesters who had launched demonstrations across the country.

This is coming after a week-old, youth-led protest that grew from online condemnation of the proposed taxes on bread and diapers and evolved into a nationwide movement calling for the scrapping of the entire finance bill including the taxes.

Thousands took to the streets of Nairobi and several other cities during two days of protests last week as the online movement gathered momentum.

Ruto announced he would not sign a finance bill including the tax increases, a day after clashes between police and protesters at the assembly and nationwide left at least 23 people dead and scores wounded, according to medics.

The International Monetary Fund who are part of the blamed entities  said on Wednesday that it was closely monitoring the situation and was deeply concerned about the unrest.

 The IMF is urging the Kenyan government to cut deficits to obtain more financing.

According to Reuters,  there were documented protests in at least 35 of Kenya's 47 counties, from big cities to rural areas - even in Ruto's hometown of Eldoret in his ethnic Kalenjin heartland.