William Ruto’s humiliation over Kenya’s Finance Bill shows the power of Gen Z

Image source, Shutterstock

Image caption: Youth-led protests forced William Ruto to withdraw unpopular tax proposalsArticle information

• Author, Stewart Maclean
• Role, BBC Africa Bureau Chief, Nairobi

• June 26, 2024

The events that led to William Ruto abandon your budget may, in time, be seen as a landmark moment – not just for Kenya’s president, but also for youth power on the world’s youngest continent.

Through the force of protest, organized largely organically, a movement started by young people on social media forced one of Africa’s most internationally respected leaders to abandon his core politics.

It is not that Mr Ruto now realizes that he was wrong to push for the tax increases that caused so much anger in Kenya. In fact, he began his address to the nation on Wednesday with a robust and detailed explanation of exactly why he believed they were necessary.

His government, he said, took the difficult decisions necessary to stabilize the economy and help Kenya get out of the debt trap that forces it to spend 61 cents of every tax dollar to repay its loans.

The finance bill was essential, he claimed, to “redeem our country from the discomfort of debt and assert our sovereignty”.

That makes it all the more surprising that the turmoil of recent days has forced the embattled president to change course so completely.

Instead of raising extra revenue, Ruto now intends to balance the books by introducing a new public austerity program.

It will include, notably, a cut in his own cabinet expenses – a clear nod to the fury heard from many on the streets about alleged corruption and government largesse.

And in an attempt to reach out directly to Kenya’s youth, the president promised to engage and listen to them.

Mr Ruto spoke before an audience of his own MPs, whom he thanked for supporting his bill. Many can now be forgiven for wondering where his turnaround leaves his credibility.

There is no doubt that the last two days have been deeply painful for the president.

Its security forces were harshly condemned for the brutal response to Tuesday’s demonstrations, in which at least 22 people died, several of them shot by police.

Image source, Shutterstock

Image caption: President Ruto said he was listening to the youth of Kenya

In the immediate aftermath of the bloody protests, Mr Ruto highlighted the criminal excesses at the heart of the chaos, threatening a robust response to the storming of parliament and widespread looting.

But his concession on the substance of his policy on Wednesday also came with an acceptance that the demonstrations had been, at heart, a legitimate expression of anger.

“It has become evident,” he acknowledged, “that the public still insists on the need for us to make more concessions.”

“I run a government, but I also lead people, and the people have spoken.”

Domestically, the question now is whether people believe Mr Ruto’s withdrawal of the finance bill goes far enough.

Some called for protests planned for Thursday to go ahead, demanding the president’s resignation.

The coming days will show whether the genie of public fury can be put back in the bottle.

Beyond Kenya, Mr Ruto will be asking himself how the crisis has affected his global standing.

Some of his country’s closest diplomatic allies and the UN secretary-general have demanded that Kenya uphold the right to peaceful public protest.

This pressure may have influenced the difference in tone between his speeches on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Perhaps the reaction to the violence shown by his security forces is as powerful in shaping Mr Ruto’s response as the sight of thousands of people demonstrating against him.

Regardless of what led to his new path, less than two years into his term, Mr Ruto’s task now is to rebuild and regain momentum.

But Kenya’s president is forced to pursue an economic policy he doesn’t seem to believe in.

Some of Mr Ruto’s opponents may see today’s message as a statement of intent – ​​a hard-learned lesson for a humble leader.

But for others, this victory over the powerful could provide new impetus to continue challenging the president’s authority.

And this episode could also have repercussions in other parts of Africa.

Because while Mr Ruto’s about-face was ultimately driven by more than just youth anger, he himself acknowledged that it was Kenya’s youth who started the fire.

As a continent, Africa has the youngest population on the planet, with almost three-quarters of its citizens under the age of 35.

Many of them will see Wednesday’s events as proof that, with enough determination, they can force their leaders to listen to their voices.

More on Kenya’s fiscal crisis:

Image source, Getty Images/BBC

Fuente