President Ruto is set to address the state of the nation today at the National Assembly, sampling out some of the strides he’s made in strengthening the economy. However, Kenyans remain hopeless, with some stating that there is nothing to be proud of so far. Kenyans now mull for the return of protests.
Even as the president prepares to bring to the limelight some of the achievements his regime has made in the two and a half years of his reign, millions of Kenyans appear flabbergasted—citing failures and economic bites Ruto’s regime has meted on them while thriving on outright dispensation of lies—something they didn’t expect.
Calls are seething through corners, including the internet, for another nation-wide protest that would either force President Ruto to change tunes or resign, for Kenyans seem to have lost the trust and meritocracy they embedded in him during the campaign trails.
Even on the grassroots, President Ruto’s core defenders are finding it wild to address the electorates who once greeted with roses while expecting a bullish performance from the regime, akin to President Uhurus reign, which set Kenyans on ablaze through a borrowing spree—never seen before.
Today’s state of the nation address could be litmus tests as to whether the president will continue remarks underscoring the dwindling expectations or the lost glory after Kenyans had accused him of spreading life.
Kenyans are currently surviving on between a rock and a hard surface, owing to the massive taxes the government has imposed almost on everything. Among the new taxes recently introduced are the hosuing levey, which obligates both the employer and the employee to commit a monthly remittance of 1.5% to the housing program. Yet, the minimum wage hasn’t changed, and the economy continues to get harsher day-by-day.
Amid calls for the return of the nation-wide demonstrations, the police have remained impervious—making press statements, condemning the planned demonstrations, which greatly limits the constitutional right of the people to peaceful picket and demands accountability from their state representatives.
The National Police Service issued a statement over the night, warning protest planners and reminding them to submit notice to the body within 3 days prior to demonstrations. However, there are no such enacted laws giving the police even a sheer powerwill to leverage their authority in the planning and protest conduct.
“In exercise of these rights, the law places a responsibility on organizations to notify the Regulating Officer (Officer Commanding Station) in writing at least three days but no more than fourteen days in advance, specifying the details of the planned meeting. This requirement is intended to ensure that proper safety and security measures are put in place by police during public demonstrations,” stated a statement from the office of the Inspector General (November 20, 2024).
Kenyans are still reeling from the aftermath of the June 25th, 2024, protests and the subsequent ones, which saw tens of deaths, arrests, and abductions by government agencies. But, up to date, no officer has been brought to book despite what the president calls the expeditious investigation and prosecution of those found guilty.
Kenya has, however, become a safe haven for abductions of late, breaching even the international laws for human rights protection by facilitating the abduction of foreign officials seeking refuge in the country and bundling them back to their home countries, where they meet unknown consequences.
