Riots against several taxes in Kenyan have been exacerbated by the country’s external debt crisis, and will require international intervention to resolve, warns charity Christian Aid.
At least 39 people were killed in the recent anti–government protests, with another 361 injured. The largely peaceful anti-tax rallies, led mostly by young Gen-Z protesters, descended into deadly violence after lawmakers passed contentious legislation. The government has now been forced to make a U-turn on these tax proposals.
Jennifer Larbie, Head of UK Advocacy and Campaigns at Christian Aid, said: “Kenya is trapped in a debt crisis not of its making and with no way out. Rather than building hospitals and schools and training doctors and teachers, the government has no option but to line the pockets of predatory private creditors.
“When riots have been sparked by tax rises to pay off national debt interest, how can the UK Government sit in silence? We have a moral responsibility to intervene with debt relief measures so that millions of people living in fear of conflict and poverty can thrive.”
