Kenyans Gather Outside The IMF’s Washington Offices For Demonstration
On Saturday, a group of Kenyans demonstrated outside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) offices in Washington, DC, USA.
Protesters carrying the national flag chanted anti-IMF slogans. The group also performed Kenyan music, which drew the attention of passersby.
The group was seen holding placards accusing the multilateral lender of interfering with Kenya’s internal affairs.
Furthermore, the protestors asked the IMF to accept responsibility for the violence that occurred during the protests.
“IMF Set Kenya Free” read one of the placards with a Kenyan flag. “We Demand Transparency. Kenya 1st, IMF Last” read another placard.
Kenyans in USA camp outside IMF offices with the names of all the missing people and all the Deceased protestors under….Under a tag
— The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) July 21, 2024
Say their names!!! pic.twitter.com/yqy0xgIuMo
The IMF was also accused of crippling Kenya with billions in loans that it could not repay.
Kenyans demanded an end to this so that the nation could live within its means as the majority of the loans are not spent to develop the country.
One of the protestors added that Kenyans had expressed concerns about the IMF not only after the Finance Bill 2024 was released, but also in 2018.
He complained that the lender was to blame for the rising taxes on the majority of Kenyans.
Protest at IMF HQ in DC: Kenyans Call for Sustainable Development and End to Economic Interference during protests at IMF in Washington DC. pic.twitter.com/S5D9TfOQZ2
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) July 21, 2024
“We are the headquarters today because of the IMF-inspired finance bill which has resulted in the death of 53 people,” another protestor stated.
“We want to warn the IMF of the loan shark habits they have of colluding with African leaders specifically William Samoei Ruto giving them loans and making them have austerity measures in other key areas such as education, and healthcare.”
Kenyans in the diaspora also criticized President William Ruto’s austerity measures, which were announced a few days ago.
They claimed that the measures were insufficient to address the concerns raised by Kenyans.
Furthermore, protesters expressed their condolences to the families of Kenyans killed during the anti-government protests that began across the country on June 18.
They also asked the new cabinet to draft methods to end corruption rather than relying on loans from international lenders such as the IMF and World Bank.
President Ruto is expected to announce the full list of new Cabinet Secretaries shortly.
Notably, these protests come after weeks of heated demonstrations in the country, with Kenyans back home accusing the IMF of being behind the contentious Finance Bill 2024.
On June 27, the IMF responded to the unrest in Kenya by pledging to continue working closely with Kenya.
The Bretton Woods Institution stated that it is closely monitoring the situation in the country.
“Our thoughts are with all the people affected by the turmoil in the country,” read a statement from the international organisation.
Kenyans Gather Outside The IMF’s Washington Offices For Demonstration
