HOW IMF SPARKED KENYA'S BIGGEST PROTEST IN YEARS

In our end-of-year review, William Sakawa takes us through the Kenyan protests against William Ruto's government.

The June-July protests in Kenya traced back to reforms the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pushed. In January, the IMF advised the Kenyan government to raise taxes, openly admitting that such measures would likely incite social unrest but urging the government to push ahead regardless. Pressured by the need to raise $2.7 billion for the fiscal year, President William Ruto proposed a Finance Bill introducing taxes on essential goods such as bread, diapers and sanitary products and increasing the cost of medical equipment. These measures disproportionately affected the most vulnerable, fuelling widespread anger.

Kenya's severe corruption problem exacerbates public frustration. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta estimated the country loses some KES 2 billion (around $15.5 million) daily to corruption, while the country's anti-corruption chief put it at a third of Kenya's budget.

Meanwhile, debt repayment consumes seven out of every ten shillings collected in taxes, yet much of this borrowed money ends up in offshore accounts rather than benefiting the public. Kenyans' anger is not just about taxes but also the misuse of funds and unfulfilled promises that have left citizens to shoulder the burden of corruption and mismanagement.