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Ugandan police officers detain protestors during a rally against what the protesters say are rampant corruption and human rights abuses by the country's rulers in Kampala, Uganda July 23, 2024.
Kenyan-inspired protests spread across Africa
Kenyan President William Rutonominated four opposition ministers to his new “broad-based” cabinet on Wednesday to appease growing government dissatisfaction – a move that's already being labeled a corrupt bribe by protesters. Earlier this month, Ruto fired most of his cabinet after weeks of student-led protests against proposed tax hikes and government corruption led to 50 deaths and calls for his resignation.
Wednesday's move came after last week’s appointment of 11 ministers – six of whom had been in the previous cabinet – drawing concerns that Ruto’s pledges for radical change were just words and that he will continue to choose personal politics over national interests. Protesters have been urged to accept Ruto’s concessions and engage in constructive dialogue, but demonstrations continue as Ruto refuses to step down.
New Kenyan-inspired protests. These calls for change are now being echoed across the continent. In Uganda, youths inspired by their Kenyan counterparts have taken to the streets in anti-corruption protests – a move authoritarian President Yoweri Museveniwarned was “playing with fire.” Ugandan forces besieged the activists’ headquarters on Monday, and authorities arrested more than 40 people – including three opposition lawmakers – at banned protests the following day.
Hoping to mirror the successes of Kenyan protests, young Nigerians have also taken to social media to organize a demonstration on Aug. 1 against the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has called on youths not to join the “sinister” protests, as the government begs for more time to address economic hardships.
Members of the second contingent of Kenyan police greet each other after arriving in the Caribbean country as part of a peacekeeping mission, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti July 16, 2024.
Double duty: Kenya and Bangladesh try to balance domestic crises with Haiti aid
Haiti’s Prime Minister Garry Conillecalled for gangs to surrender their weapons and recognize the state’s authority late Wednesday, as a Kenyan-led police mission there enjoys some early success.
Some 200 officers arrived in late June and are trying to take back the capital from gangs that launched a series of highly coordinated attacks in February, ousting former Prime Minister Ariel Henry and seizing about 80% of the capital. The mission received another 200 Kenyan officers on Tuesday, and, within the coming months, the multinational force is expected to see recruits from other countries, including Bangladesh. But oddly enough, both Nairobi and Dhaka are facing severe challenges to law and order at home.
Kenya is entering its second month of deadly protests calling for the resignation of President William Ruto. But Ruto has doubled down, banning protests in Nairobi mere hours before a demonstration was planned for Thursday. Protests are likely to continue and will be met by a violent police response.
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, at least 32 people have been killed in police clashes during nationwide, student-led protests this week. The young activists are demonstrating over quotas that reserve 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Independence. Protesters announced they will force a nationwide shutdown in response to the police brutality in one of the most severe challenges yet to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has ruled for 20 years.
We’re watching for signs of whether the security mission’s main contributors feel they need to put their own houses in order before helping Haiti.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) leaves the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York after the second day of deliberations after an indictment for an alleged 16 counts of conspiracy on July 15, 2024, in New York City. Menendez is charged with using his political influence to benefit Egypt in exchange for compensation, a scheme orchestrated by his wife and by three business co-conspirators, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes who are charged with similar crimes relating to payments made to Menendez on Monday September 25, 2023 the Senator denied all allegations and that the $500,000 found in his house by agents is an old fashioned way of safeguarding money against emergencies.
Hard Numbers: Sen. Menendez found guilty, Protests turn deadly in Kenya, China’s readers scoop up Vance’s book, Rwanda’s early vote count in, Bangladeshi protests claim lives
16: Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was found guilty on Tuesday of all 16 counts in his federal corruption trial, including bribery, acting as a foreign agent (a first for a US senator), and fraud. Prosecutors said “he put his power up for sale,” lending support in exchange for money, gold bars, and other bribes in a yearslong scheme. He faces decades in prison when he’s sentenced on Oct. 29.
1: One person was killed Tuesday in violent anti-government protests that resumed in Kenya less than a week after Kenyan President William Rutodismissed most of his cabinet to demonstrate his commitment to make radical changes to the demonstrators. The protests first broke out last month – 39 people were killed, and demonstrators breached the Parliament building – in response to a deeply unpopular finance bill that aimed to raise $2 billion in taxes to offset worsening economic crises. Ruto backed down from the tax, but protesters are still demanding that he resign.
10: After his selection as Donald Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, JD Vance’s memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” – which highlights difficulties faced by the white working class in America – sold out immediately in China, and online prices for used versions there increased tenfold. Since its release in 2016, the book has become one of China’s best-sellers, but Vance does not return this affection. In fact, he has called China America’s greatest threat.
99.15: Rwanda’s electoral commission reported that President Paul Kagame secured his fourth term in Monday’s election, with early reports showing him winning 99.15% of the vote. This is not a big surprise given that the election was deemed by many as neither free nor fair. Kagame has been in power for over 30 years, and he stands accused of cracking down on dissent and political opposition.
5: At least five people were killed on Tuesday in Bangladesh during ongoing violent protests calling for an end to public-sector job quotas that ensure 30% of government jobs are reserved for family members of Bangladesh War of Independence veterans. Clashes first broke out Monday at universities and have since spread nationwide, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to voice their anger over persistent high youth unemployment.
Kenya's President William Ruto speaks at a press conference where he announced spending cuts in government after protests againstKenya's proposed finance bill 2024/2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, July 5, 2024.
Kenyan president fires cabinet in bid to retain power
In the wake of mass protests over proposed tax increases that turned deadly last month, Kenyan President William Ruto fired the bulk of his cabinet on Thursday, signaling that he’s willing to make radical changes.
Protests broke out in June in response to a finance bill passed by parliament to raise over $2 billion in taxes. The demonstrators brought chaos to Nairobi, killing 39 people and breaching the nation’s parliament building. The violence forced Ruto to abandon the bill, and he’s been implementing a series of measures to reduce government spending. With his cabinet reshuffle — he sacked all but his deputy president and prime cabinet secretary — Ruto hopes to quell angry protests calling for his resignation by showing he’s listening and willing to be more flexible.
Ruto said he would “immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government,” which could mean the possible inclusion of opposition parties in the new government.
What now? Cash-strapped Kenya will be forced to dig into other country’s pockets, widening their already worrisome foreign deficit amid a worsening cost-of-living crisis. And although protesters celebrated this as a victory, Kenyans have demonstrated that they are happy to take to the streets when they’re unhappy.
Eurasia Group analyst Imani Jaoko explains this may be enough to stop the protests, but one “can’t rule out the prospect that future missteps could galvanize the protesters ... who seem pleasantly surprised by their newfound power and are keen to build on it.”
Kenya’s president does a 180 after deadly protests
Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday caved to the demands of protesters and scrapped a controversial finance bill. The legislation, which would’ve raised taxes on a population already struggling with high living costs, sparked mass protests that led to a deadly police response this week.
“I will not sign the 2024 finance bill,” Ruto said Wednesday amid widespread outrage over the deaths. “The people have spoken.”
What’s next? The move will appease Western donors, older voters, and certain lobbying groups who backed the young protesters but also want to see calm restored, says Imani Jaoko, a Nairobi-based analyst for Eurasia Group.
But the young voters who spearheaded the demonstrations “are not going to relent,” adds Jaoko, because people have died, and they see this U-turn as coming too late.
Ruto initially pledged a strong response to the protests, which also called for his resignation. Though he’s done a 180, it actually “emboldens” the demonstrators, says Jaoko, who are now aiming not only for the finance bill but “the administration’s failures in whole.”
Still, older voters, among other groups, will probably push the young protesters to “take the ‘win,’” adds Jaoko, noting that it’s unlikely the calls for Ruto to resign will reach a level where he feels compelled to step aside.
People attend a demonstration against Kenya's proposed finance bill 2024/2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25.
Protests turn deadly as Kenyans storm Parliament
Kenyans enraged over a new finance bill that would increase taxes attempted to storm Parliament in Nairobi on Tuesday, prompting police to use live ammunition. Part of the building was set on fire, and multiple people were reportedly killed.
The demonstrations, which have also spread to other major cities and led Kenya to deploy the military, have been “a long time coming” and reflect the general mood across the country, says Caroline Gray, a Fulbright scholar based in Nairobi.
Kenyans — especially the younger generation, which is driving the protests — are fed up with the high cost of living and rising unemployment. “These proposed tax increases on everyday, basic goods have pushed people over the edge,” says Gray.
The protesters wanted lawmakers to scrap the bill, which aims to ease Kenya’s sizable debt burden, but it was pushed through Parliament on Tuesday. President William Ruto can now either sign the legislation or send it back for amendments.
Many young Kenyans who once supported Ruto feel betrayed and are now calling for his resignation. “They feel Ruto is taking instruction from the IMF,” says Gray, which recently gave Kenya additional loans to help with its financial problems – but with conditions to ensure repayment.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan government just sent a large police force to help quell gang violence in Haiti, which bolsters the view among the population that Ruto is “not working for them but for his global image,” Gray adds.
The president has two weeks to act on the legislation. Ruto on Tuesday pledged a tough response to the “treasonous” protests. In the meantime, if Ruto doesn’t make changes to the bill or other concessions, Gray says the protests are likely to “continue and escalate.”
Kenyan police officers wearing ceremonial uniform participate in a parade during the commemoration of 61st Madaraka Day. A contingent of Kenyan Police is awaiting deployment to lead a Multinational Security Support Mission(MSS) to Haiti.
Kenyan cops are finally heading to Haiti
On Sunday, Kenyan officials said the police force they have promised to lead in Haiti, where they will help the beleaguered Haitian police fight heavily armed gangs, will depart on Tuesday.
They’re walking into a desperate situation. The Haitian National Police can count on only around 4,000 officers in a nation of 11 million, and last week new Prime Minister Garry Conille dismissed the country’s police chief. The Kenyans are bringing around 1,000 more officers, and other countries, including Benin, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, and Chad have pledged forces, though it is unclear when they will arrive. The project will be funded generously by Uncle Sam, to the tune of $110 million so far, but there will be no US boots on the ground.
Even with international support, the gangs may have the upper hand. They have formed large alliances and effectively control around 80% of the capital. Some leaders, like Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a former cop who now leads the G-9 gang alliance, have amplified street power into political ambition to try and assume powerful positions in post-conflict Haiti.
We’re watching how the Kenyans fare in the first days of what is sure to be a grueling and violent deployment — and hoping they can help bring some peace and stability to Haiti.
Kenyan President William Ruto and U.S. President Joe Biden shake hands during a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 23, 2024.
The Kenyan president’s landmark White House visit
Yesterday’sstate visit to the White House by Kenya’s President William Ruto was an extraordinary event for several reasons. On the diplomatic front, it was the first official state visit by an African leader to the White House since 2008.
On the security front, President Joe Biden used the occasion to announce that his administration will work with Congress to designate Kenya as a “major non-NATO ally,” making the East African nation the 19th country to hold that status but the first in sub-Saharan Africa. This designation won’t require the US to defend Kenya if it falls under attack, as all NATO members are obligated by treaty to do on behalf of alliance partners, but it deepens strategic defense cooperation between the two and allows for jointly funded research and development projects.
On thetechnology front, Kenya is already home to a large concentration of startup tech companies. Biden and Ruto announced a partnership on semiconductor development on Thursday that could make Kenya the first country in Africa to receive funding from the so-called CHIPS Act, which subsidizes the production of cutting-edge computer chips. There will also be investment in AI and cybersecurity development.
Finally, on the geopolitical front, these agreements signal that the Biden administration recognizes the need to compete more aggressively with China, Russia, the UAE, Turkey, and others for trade, investment, and diplomatic opportunities in a resource-rich and increasingly innovative region of Africa.