ACTIVISTS’ VOICE: Protesters In Police Custody Break Into Revolutionary Songs
On Tuesday, police arrested several activists who were participating in the ‘Occupy Parliament’ protest against the passage of the Finance Bill 2024.
Among them were several female protesters who were bundled into waiting police trucks and driven to the Central Police Station, despite calls from the Law Society of Kenya for police to exercise restraint.
In a show of defiance, protesters continued to demonstrate against the Bill inside the holding cells with song and dance, telling the government that they would not back down.
“Wametuzoea! Wametuzoeaaa! Nani? Serikali, wametuzoeaa! Hatutakubali, hatutakubalii!” they sung.
Gen Z😹 pic.twitter.com/1qVeoFoc9C
— SHINSKI🔰 (@miondokoo) June 18, 2024
This, even as President William Ruto was leading his troops at State House to let Kenyans know their voices had been heard, and a number of contentious clauses in the Finance Bill had been dropped.
The Finance Committee of the National Assembly, chaired by Kimani Kuria, briefed the Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group on Tuesday morning.
The report stated that the proposed VAT on bread, sugarcane transportation, financial services and foreign exchange transactions, excise duty on vegetable oil, and 2.5 percent motor vehicle tax had been dropped.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah stated that the government has decided to strike a balance between raising revenue and putting Kenyans under strain, stating that the Kenya Kwanza administration “is not a deaf administration; it listens to its people’s needs”.
“His Excellency the President informed the PG that the Executive and the Legislature will continue making the right decisions no matter how difficult they are. He pointed out that last year’s proposal in Finance Bill 2023 have led to tremendous progress,” Kuria said.
The clouds have gathered at Central Police Station, and the rain has started pouring! #RejectFinanceBill2024 pic.twitter.com/Giy1Cz1H5h
— Fafa Mukuru (@osoroKE) June 18, 2024
Even so, Kuria informed Kenyans that after briefing the Parliamentary Group on the report, the President insisted that the government would not back down from making the right decisions, no matter how difficult they were.
MP Babu Owino visits Central Police Station, demands the release of arrested ‘Occupy Parliament’ protestors pic.twitter.com/hdsanMBQ3r
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 18, 2024
“The running battles and use of teargas on protestors that we have seen images of this morning are a despicable affront to the rule of law,” Odhiambo said.
“We are closely monitoring today’s events and will take legal action to find Bungei and any officer who violates the rights of the protesters on account of his instructions personally liable for any breaches of the Constitution and the National Police Service Act,” she added.
ACTIVISTS’ VOICE: Protesters In Police Custody Break Into Revolutionary Songs
