Image Source: Arise News
June 29, 2024 Published by: Editor
Barack Obama’s half-sister, Auma Obama, was tear-gassed on Tuesday in Kenya while participating in protests against a proposed tax hike.
Auma Obama, a prominent Kenyan activist, was seen wiping her face and struggling to breathe as she spoke with CNN shortly after being tear-gassed during the demonstration in Nairobi.
“I can’t believe that these young people are just trying to demonstrate for their rights,” Obama said in her interview with CNN. She attended the protest to support the young demonstrators, adding, “and to tell them that we understand that they need to use their voices and we are being tear-gassed. We’re being tear-gassed! We have flags and banners, nothing else.”
Thousands of protesters gathered at Kenya’s Parliament after lawmakers passed the tax hike on Tuesday. According to The Associated Press, they stormed the building, forcing some to flee through a tunnel. At least five people were fatally shot, dozens were injured, and 21 people are missing after clashes with police, as reported in a joint statement from Amnesty International and other Kenyan civic groups.
Kenyans, already burdened by the high cost of living, have fiercely opposed the tax increase, which they argue will exacerbate their financial struggles. Protests, organized under the banner “7 Days of Rage,” aimed to combat the Finance Bill 2024, which proposes tax hikes for millions. The Hill and The New York Times reported that these tax increases are part of an effort to reduce Kenya’s $80 billion debt. The country has faced high inflation in recent years, with residents struggling to afford food, rent, and utilities.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission shared videos on Tuesday showing police firing at protesters and using tear gas amid the chaos. The group has called on President William Ruto to “end repression of peaceful protesters.”
The movement against the finance bill has been largely led by young people, who have utilized social media to organize and mobilize protesters with the hashtag #RejectFinanceBill2024. Many young people who voted for Ruto in 2022 had praised his promises of economic relief but now feel betrayed.
“I fell for his lies,” one voter, Oscar Saina, told The Associated Press. “Now I’m out here regretting why I voted for him.” Source: NBC News
