By Abiola Olawale
After a nationwide protest over the controversial finance bill, Kenyan President,
William Ruto has officially announced his decision to withdraw the bill.
The New Diplomat reports that the decision of the President came after the bill had sparked deadly protests in Nairobi, and other parts of the country.
The citizens of Kenya had lamented the inclusion of a contentious tax hikes clause in the finance bill.
During the protest, about 22 people reportedly lost their lives in the midst of the violent protest which erupted in the country.
On Wednesday, Ruto, in a televised address declared that he would no longer be introducing any unpopular new financial laws which would have hiked taxes for Kenyans.
He said: “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“And therefore, I will not sign the 2024 finance bill, and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” he said in a televised address.
Recall that thousands of people stormed parliament on Tuesday, making it the biggest assault on Kenya’s government in decades.
The chaos on Tuesday led Kenya’s government to deploy the military as President Ruto called protesters’ actions “treasonous”.
