Kenya prepares for first anniversary of Finance Bill protests

Kenya is on edge as the country prepares for the first anniversary of the June 2024 protests on Wednesday.

Thousands gathered on the streets last year to protest the government's controversial Finance Bill and its heavy tax rises.

Demonstrators stormed the Parliament Building in Nairobi on 25 June 2024, with police opening fire on the crowd.

President William Ruto withdrew the bill the next day.

Opposition leaders and youth groups have vowed to return to the streets in honour of those who died in the Gen Z-led movement.

Over 60 people were killed and 82 forcibly or involuntarily disappeared over the course of the demonstrations, according to rights group Civicus Monitor.

The Nairobi police assured victims' families that Wednesday's memorial rally would be secured.

Families called for a peaceful assembly. They will demand justice for their loved ones, police reform and an end to extrajudicial killings and abductions in the country.

Missing Voices reported 159 cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in 2024, a 24% increase from 2023.

This anniversary comes amid rising tensions in Kenya. The recent death of 31-year-old blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody sparked protests against police brutality over the past two weeks.

A police officer was arrested after shooting an apparent bystander at close range during a demonstration in Nairobi. The victim remains hospitalised in critical condition in an intensive care unit.