Kenya’s William Ruto fires cabinet but still faces mounting crises
TLDR
- President William Ruto dismisses all cabinet ministers except for Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, facing backlash from young Kenyans.
- Young Kenyans express frustration over Ruto's failure to fulfill election promises, with protests escalating against proposed tax increases.
- Online-led protests spark serious crisis for Ruto's administration, leading to abandonment of finance bill with tax hikes.
In the latest move to defuse tensions, President William Ruto dismissed all cabinet ministers, including the attorney-general, except for Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
While this decision was welcomed by some, it did not satisfy many young Kenyans who are frustrated with Ruto’s failure to deliver on his 2022 election promises to create jobs and improve their fortunes. Ruto has been scrambling to contain the fallout from deadly protests against proposed tax hikes.
Last month’s initially peaceful rallies turned violent, reflecting widespread anger against his government. Organized online and led largely by young Kenyans, the protests have plunged Ruto’s administration into the most serious crisis of his two-year presidency, forcing him to abandon the finance bill containing the tax hikes.
Points clés à retenir
Initially peaceful, the protests escalated sharply when police fired at crowds who stormed parliament, ransacking the partly ablaze complex. Although large-scale street protests have subsided, anger towards the government persists, particularly against the police, with rights groups reporting that 39 people were killed in the demonstrations. Last week, Ruto announced sharp cuts to government spending, including travel and refurbishment costs, and stated that he would increase borrowing to fund some services, despite Kenya grappling with massive foreign debt equivalent to roughly 70% of GDP. The crisis led US-based Moody’s to downgrade Kenya’s debt rating further into junk territory, warning of a negative outlook, which will make borrowing even more expensive for the cash-strapped government.
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