Latest news with #Ruto
IOL News
a day ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Kenya's defiant youth committed to ousting impotent Ruto
Protesters chant anti-government slogans atop a vandalised car used as a barricade to block a road during Saba Saba Day demonstrations in Nairobi on July 7, 2025. Saba Saba Day marks the uprising on July 7, 1990 when Kenyans demanded a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel Arap Moi. Image: AFP Kim Heller President William Ruto is facing fierce scrutiny. Calls for the first citizen of Kenya to resign are mounting as rage simmers around the government's inability to fuel economic recovery and growth, corruption, and police brutality. Kenya is experiencing significant political turbulence. In June 2024, the youth of Kenya, worn down by poverty, joblessness, and ever-increasing living expenses, took to the streets in a show of wrath against the Finance Bill and the Ruto administration. The Bill proposed taxation on basic goods and would have placed an unbearably heavy economic burden on Kenya's most indigent citizens. At least sixty protestors were killed in the 2024 anti-taxation protests. This year, blood has continued to flow in the streets of Kenya. The anti-taxation protest has evolved into a mighty movement against the lacklustre economic performance of the Ruto administration, its unscrupulous and repressive state institutions, and its score of broken promises to revive youth employment and economic prospects. Since 25 June, forty-seven protestors have been killed by the police, and hundreds arrested. Muffling the cries of anguished young Kenyan protestors through state savagery is the mark of a government in the throes of illegitimacy. Public trust in Ruto's administration is plunging. Neo-liberal, anti-poor reforms and austerity measures, devised by the IMF and World Bank and poorly navigated by Ruto, have brought no relief or prospects for Kenya's young population. Kenya is the IMF's second-largest borrower, after Egypt. Its dependency on the IMF poses a perpetual threat to Kenya's sovereignty. Kenya's former Chief Justice, Willy Mutunga, has criticised Ruto's administration for placing foreign creditors ahead of local needs. Ruto's fiscal approach, bankrolled by foreign parties, is geared towards keeping bankruptcy at bay and tackling debt servicing and inflation control. However, it appears to be backfiring, as ordinary Kenyans, especially the youth, reject foreign intervention as an economic burden, worsening the economic decline and debt situation. For now, the Kenyan economy is dangerously weak. Deep-seated frustrations with the incumbent government have created an ever-present storm of discontent. It is in this political whirlwind that Ruto could be ousted by a hostile electorate in 2027. The political quick fix of co-opting Raila Odinga into the government has not tamed discontent. Nor does it offer economic cure or consolation. Despite parliamentary domination and somewhat feeble opposition, Ruto may fail to win a second Presidential term. His survival will hinge on his readiness to reconfigure the economy to serve the neediest, abandon anti-poor fiscal policies, and create much-needed jobs. If he fails to address allegations of government corruption and denounce police violence against citizens, Ruto will be a no-hoper in the upcoming game of thrones. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ In a television interview with Citizen TV Kenya this week, well-known exiled Kenyan political activist and constitutional lawyer, Dr. Miguna Miguna, spoke about how, through the ages, the youth are always the mortar of change. He commended the current generation of youth in Kenya for doing a "marvellous, historical job". President William Ruto pipes an altogether different tune. On 9 July 2025, the President of Kenya instructed police to shoot protesters who damage businesses in the leg to hinder them. His message was clear: "Kenya cannot and will not be ruled through threats, terror, or chaos. Not under my watch." In the recent protests, a pre-teen was killed by a stray bullet. Her death will forever be a sad reminder of a nation at war with itself. It is heartbreaking treachery by Ruto, who pledged to be the champion of the youth. The recent death of well-known blogger, Albert Ojwang, while he was in police custody, and the killing of an innocent street trader, Boniface Kariuki, by police during the July 2025 protests have exacerbated tensions. The centre is not holding. The people of Kenya are decisively turning against their President. Ruto's international friends are unlikely to lend a hand to save him. Left to fester, the pandemonium of protests could impair the 2027 election, further imperil job creation, and endanger international and regional trade. Ongoing protest action also poses a threat to regional stability, trade routes and economic cooperation. Kenya, once a beacon of resilience in East Africa, is fast becoming a trigger for political mobilisation and activism of and by the youth, inspiring the birth of regional movements. The grievances that fuel the protest must be addressed, but not through repressive mechanisms. The challenge for Ruto is to move Kenya from rupture to recalibration. The wise words of renowned Kenyan author, Ngugi wa Thiong'o ring true, "Our lives are a battlefield on which is fought a continuous war between the forces that are pledged to confirm our humanity and those determined to dismantle it; those who strive to build a protective wall around it, and those who wish to pull it down." The Ruto administration is unlikely to find its humanity and humility in the current battleground that is playing out in the streets of Kenya. The current administration is failing in its duty to protect its citizenry. For many decades, Dr Miguna has spoken of the need for a new constitutional order in Kenya and the creation of a democratic developmental state, founded on economic decolonisation. This would be a promised land for the economically dislodged and disempowered youth of Kenya. But such economic and political recalibration is unlikely to be part of the playbook of the Ruto regime. The very generation that Ruto promised to uplift out of poverty in his election campaign is the same generation that could well drive him out of the seat of power. That would be a touch of justice. * Kim Heller is a political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Riot, repression and reform: Will Kenya finally change?
If the Kenyan government does not change course, it won't just endanger the country but also destabilise the region read more (File) Riot police patrol on a road covered with rocks, during demonstrations to mark the historic 1990 Saba Saba (a Swahili word that means seven seven) protests for democratic reforms in the Kangemi slum of Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, July 7, 2025. AP July 7, 2025, marked the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba (Seven Seven) protests in Kenya. On that day in 1990, pro-democracy demonstrators filled the streets of Nairobi to challenge President Daniel arap Moi's one-party regime. This year, the anniversary was not a commemoration—it was a continuation. In recent weeks, protests have swept across Kenya; these protests have met with lethal state violence and mass arrests. The question now looms larger than ever: can Kenya break the cycle of repression—or will it repeat history, yet again? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Mayhem and Massacre Revisited On June 25, 2025, 19 people were killed and hundreds injured as police opened fire on protestors. The demonstrations were sparked by the death of opposition blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang in police custody and coincided with the anniversary of the 2024 Finance Bill protests, during which at least 63 people were killed. Just two weeks later, on July 7 (Saba Saba Day), Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported at least 31 more deaths, over 100 injuries, 532 arrests, and two forced disappearances. Police violence has become the state's default response to public dissent. 'Shoot the Legs': Ruto's Chilling Orders President William Ruto, elected in 2022 on promises of reform, has instead responded to civil unrest with rhetoric of war. Blaming political opponents and labeling protesters as 'terrorists,' he declared: 'Those who attack our police… that is a declaration of war. We are going to deal with you firmly… They shouldn't kill them (protesters), but they should shoot their legs so they break, and they can go to hospital on their way to court.' Such remarks shocked many Kenyans and underscored the regime's deepening authoritarian tendencies. Broken Promises, Boiling Anger Ruto rose to power vowing to uplift Kenya's struggling masses—but Kenyans today are more disillusioned than ever. Youth unemployment is rampant, inflation bites hard, and corruption remains pervasive. What fuels these protests is not just outrage over one death—but anger over decades of economic despair and political betrayal. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Protest as a Constant—and a Crime Kenya's Constitution guarantees the right to protest under Article 37. This right is also enshrined in international treaties such as the African Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Yet, in practice, every Kenyan regime—from colonial rule to the current one—has criminalized protest. The cycle is tragically familiar: protest erupts, the state responds with brute force. History of Repression and Resistance 1. Mau Mau Uprising (1951–1960): Anti-colonial revolt led by the Kikuyu, Meru, and Embu. Over 11,000 killed, 1 million displaced. It eventually paved the way for independence in 1963. 2. Jomo Kenyatta Era (1964–1978): Initial unity gave way to suppression of dissent. Protests followed political assassinations (Pinto, Mboya, Kariuki). The Kisumu Massacre (1969) saw security forces fire on protesters during Kenyatta's visit. 3. Daniel arap Moi Era (1978–2002): Moi turned Kenya into a de jure one-party state. Student uprisings, an aborted coup, mass detentions, torture, and the watershed Saba Saba protest of 1990 eventually forced a return to multi-party democracy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4. Mwai Kibaki Era (2002–2013): Initial optimism faded amid corruption and electoral fraud. Post-election violence in 2007 killed 1,100 and displaced 600,000. 5. Uhuru Kenyatta Era (2013–2022): Controversial elections sparked mass protests. The 2017 election annulment by the Supreme Court was historic but followed by more clashes and deaths. 6. William Ruto Era (2022–present): Disputed elections, protests against economic hardship, and the Gen Z-led 2024 Finance Bill uprising all mark Ruto's troubled tenure. That uprising led to the storming of Parliament and dozens of deaths. Back to Saba Saba, Once Again Kenya is burning once more. The death of Albert Ojwang lit the fuse. On June 25, 2025, 16 people were killed across 27 counties. On July 7, another 31 fell. But this is more than rage—it is remembrance. For many, these rallies aren't only protests. They're echoes of a long fight for freedom, democracy, and dignity. Writing on the Wall President Ruto is three years into his term. The next election is two years away. Between now and then, he must choose: reform or repression. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He must listen to the valid grievances of Kenya's youth, address inequality, curb police brutality, and begin the hard work of healing a fractured nation. The police's place is not on the streets terrorizing citizens—but in the barracks, serving the people. If the government does not change course, it won't just endanger Kenya—it may destabilise the region. The author is a multi-disciplinary thought leader with Action Bias and an India based impact consultant. He is a keen watcher of changing national and international scenarios. He works as President Advisory Services of Consulting Company BARSYL. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
CAF
2 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
Kenya President Ruto in surprise Harambee Stars visit, wants focus on CHAN title
Published: Thursday, 17 July 2025 Kenya's President, Dr William Ruto, has urged the Harambee Stars to aim for the title on home soil as they gear up for their debut in the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024. The Head of State made a surprise visit to the national team's training base at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani Annex on Wednesday evening, where they were wrapping up their first week of residential training. During his visit, President Ruto pledged full government support to ensure the team performs at its best. Kenya is co-hosting the biennial competition alongside East African neighbours Uganda and Tanzania. 'We are delighted as a country to host this tournament. We will be making history for Kenya,' said President Ruto. 'When I made the decision to have Kenya bid for both CHAN and AFCON, I believed we had the capacity and the ability.' Addressing the players, he added: 'You are going to represent more than 50 million Kenyans, and that is the weight of responsibility on your shoulders. "I have come here to tell you that we believe in your capacity and potential, and we will proudly cheer you to victory. "Know that the whole country is behind you. Let it be historic—if we are hosting it for the first time, then we must win.' The President also affirmed that Kenya is ready to welcome the continent, with the tournament's opening match set to take place in just under three weeks. Head coach Benni McCarthy expressed his gratitude for the visit: 'We are honoured as a team to have you grace us with your presence despite your busy schedule. We promise to give our best and work hard to deliver results.' The Harambee Stars will intensify their preparations in the coming days, as they gear up for a four-nation pre-CHAN tournament in Arusha, Tanzania, featuring fellow co-hosts Uganda and Tanzania, as well as Congo Brazzaville. The preparatory tournament kicks off on 21 July. Coach McCarthy has already trimmed his squad and made a few changes. Strikers Moses Shummah and Emmanuel Osoro have been ruled out of CHAN eligibility after signing professional contracts with Zambia's Power Dynamos. To bolster the squad, McCarthy has brought in Police FC midfielder Marvin Nabwire and Bandari goalkeeper Byrne Omondi. Kenya have been placed in a tough Group A where they will face two-time champions Morocco and DR Congo as well as Angola and Zambia.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Kenyan president makes u-turn on police violence stance as protests escalate
President Ruto, once a vocal critic of police brutality, now supports violent suppression of protests, raising fears of a return to autocratic rule in Kenya. A young woman reacts as young activists, friends and family members surround the coffin of Boniface Kariuki, a street hawker who died from gunshot wounds days after being shot by Kenyan police during nationwide protests against police violence and government policies, during his funeral in a village near Kangema on July 11, 2025. Picture: Luis Tato / AFP When Kenyan President William Ruto took office in 2022, he pledged to end police brutality. Three years on, he has instructed officers to shoot violent protesters 'in the leg'. Over the past year, the east African country has been grappling with waves of demonstrations, initially over economic stagnation and corruption but later broadening out to police violence, a long-standing issue in the country of 55 million. The protests have been met with increasingly fierce repression, rights groups say, leaving dozens dead. Kenyan authorities have justified their heavy-handed response by pointing to violence and looting during the demonstrations, while rights groups allege that some of this unrest is the work of paid thugs acting alongside officers to stir mayhem. A more belligerent tone In 2023, a year after disbanding a notorious police squad, Ruto said: 'I made a promise during my campaign trail that I would stop extrajudicial killings.' 'No mother, no Kenyan will die under circumstances that the government of Kenya cannot explain,' he added. Such comments seem a long way away now, as the president has struck a more belligerent tone, condemning the rallies and systematically backing police officers. More than 100 people have died since anti-government demonstrations broke out in June of last year, according to rights groups, with 38 dying in the latest rally on July 7. Ruto has alleged those behind the protests are attempting 'to overthrow the government' and that any attack on a police officer or station is a 'declaration of war'. Two days after the July 7 demonstration, he said violent protesters should be 'shot in the leg'. ALSO READ: Kenya's president warns against bid to 'overthrow' govt by protests 'Losing it' Ruto's comments have been met with shock and anger by parts of the population. 'The president is losing it,' wrote Kenyan newspaper The Standard in an editorial, with another frontpage that read: 'Kenya sliding into tyranny'. 'Whether he's instructing police to shoot in the leg or wherever… let us just take it for what it is,' said Otsieno Namwaya, a researcher with Human Rights Watch. 'It is a shoot-to-kill order,' he added. Karuti Kanyinga, a political researcher at the University of Nairobi, said the government's heavy-handed response to protests reminded him of the 1990s, when Kenya suffered years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. Ruto himself has said he is a 'student' of the former leader, cutting his political teeth in the youth league of Moi's party. 'We are on a cliff and the possibility of going to a very violent period, like the post-election violence period of 2007, is very high,' said Kanyinga. 'I think he's preparing to move into a tougher, repressive phase in his regime,' he said of Ruto. Cases of abductions — a prominent feature of the Moi era — have risen sharply since the protests began, according to several rights groups, which estimate more than 80 abductions have occurred over the past year, with dozens still missing. Ruto initially said there had been no abductions. He later promised to end disappearances and ensured that all abducted individuals had been 'returned to their families'. ALSO READ: Kenyan cop faces possible murder charge for rally bystander's death But some of these families are still searching for their loved ones. 'Cannot be held hostage' The rhetoric from those around the president has also intensified. 'We have told the police that anyone who comes near a police station: shoot them,' interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen told a crowd on June 26. He later claimed the remarks, caught on camera, had been taken out of context. The government's defence committee chairman was also filmed calling for 'shoot-to-kill' during rallies. Also backing Ruto is Christopher Aseka, a lawmaker who over the weekend rejected suggestions that the president had endorsed such orders. 'He is simply saying, if you are caught burning a police station or destroying public infrastructure, you will be immobilised,' Aseka told a crowd. Parts of Nairobi's outskirts saw looting and vandalism during the June and July protests, with the interior ministry saying hundreds of officers were injured. 'This country cannot be held hostage by a few rogue individuals,' Aseka added. ALSO READ: Eight killed as deadly clashes erupt in Kenya on protest anniversary 'Dictatorship 101' Pro-democracy protests last week to mark Saba Saba day — the anniversary of the bloody 1990 uprising that demanded a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule — were met by a heavy police presence and violence. Rights groups reported at least 38 deaths among protesters, while the government says only 17 people died. 'Saba Saba was the deadliest single day since the beginning of the demos' a year ago, said Africa Hussein Khalid, head of rights group Vocal. Protests also erupted in June over the death of teacher Albert Ojwang, who died in custody, with people marching in Nairobi against police brutality. The United Nations has condemned the use of force by Kenyan authorities. Contacted by AFP, a government spokesperson pointed to Ruto's full remarks last week to 'understand the context', without answering further questions. But for many rights defenders, Saba Saba marked a new low. 'Ruto defended the police without saying a single word for the victims,' Khalid, from Vocal, said. 'The force is used to silence dissent,' he said. 'It is dictatorship 101.' NOW READ: Motorbike-riding 'goons' attack Kenya protesters
AFP
5 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
The African Union has not announced plans to impeach Kenya's president
'Breaking News AU leaders plan to impeach President William Ruto amid frequent protests,' reads a post published on X on July 7, 2025. Image Screenshot of the false post, taken on July 9, 2025 The accompanying graphic bears the branding of local news outlet ' and features an image of several African leaders, including former AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, ex-Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and other leaders of member states, together with a smaller inset photo of Ruto shaking hands with opposition leader Raila Odinga. The graphic also includes a faint 'Mastardcesh' watermark, which is the name of the account that published it, indicating it was the source of the claim in question. The replies under the post suggest users believed the claim to be true. One user asked: 'Please do. How can we support?' 'This will be a very progressive movement for the African people at least this shows we have a working system for africans that are concerted with the ppl (sic),' wrote another. The claim was also published on Facebook here and here. However, the graphic in question is fake, and the AU has not announced plans to impeach Ruto. Fabricated graphic The digital card in question does not appear on the official social media pages for ' where such news reports are typically published. AFP Fact Check contacted the news outlet's social media manager Adongo Kyalo, who rejected the graphic. 'This is not from us,' he said, adding that users should 'check our social media pages on the quoted dates to confirm the authenticity of the graphics'. We also found no credible source of evidence on the AU announcing plans to impeach Ruto, following recent protests in Kenya. While the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, an organ of the AU, expressed concern over the recent events in Kenya, the continental body does not have the power to impeach the president of a member state (archived here and here). A sitting Kenyan president can only be impeached by parliament, as stipulated in Article 145 of the constitution (archived here). Saba Saba demos On July 7, 1990, Kenyans took to the streets to fight for multi-party democracy, in what became known as 'Saba Saba', which is Swahili for 'Seven Seven' (archived here). At the time, Kenya was under the autocratic rule of former president Daniel arap Moi and the Kenya African National Union (KANU) party, which outlawed opposition parties. The historic protests turned violent, resulting in multiple deaths and more than 1,000 arrests. Thirty-five years later, the 2025 commemoration of Saba Saba shares many similarities with the earlier movement, with nationwide protests leading to an economic shutdown and a violent police response that left at least 31 dead and saw over 500 arrested (archived here and here). The July 7 events took place just days after similarly violent demonstrations marked the anniversary of last year's finance bill protests, which culminated in a breach of parliament (archived here). Ruto has since warned against attempts to 'overthrow' the government through 'unconstitutional means' (archived here).
