On Tuesday June 25th, protests erupted all around Kenya in defiance of the newly proposed Finance Bill 2024. This legislation was aimed at raising taxes and imposing more of them in general on the public in order to prevent defaulting on a loan by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It would essentially cause the Kenyan economy to collapse.

During the National Assembly in Nairobi wherein the MPs would vote on the Finance Bill and any amendments proposed, protestors were found surrounding the Parliament Building. When the National Assembly passed the Finance Bill 2024 these protests became violent characterised by tear gas, destruction of infrastructure and setting fire to a section of the Parliament Building.

On Thursday June 27th, Kenya’s president, William Ruto was supposed to sign the Finance Bill officially making the legislation the law. However, in an announcement on Wednesday June 26th, President Ruto announced that he “concede[s] and will not sign the bill”. The entire nation breathed a sigh of relief.

This is the most current example of people power. We have seen similar protests rise up amongst American university students regarding the United States’ support for Israel and the killing in Gaza and throughout history as well. For example, the Tiananmen Square protests and subsequent massacre in China in 1989 and the Hungarian Uprising against the Soviet Regime in 1956.