PUNCH
Young Kenyans on Friday dismissed President William Ruto’s decision to sack most of his cabinet, with some warning that they would resume street protests unless he steps down.
Ruto has been scrambling to contain the fallout of deadly protests against proposed tax hikes after last month’s peaceful rallies descended into violence and tapped into widespread anger against his government.
Organised online and led largely by young, Gen-Z 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.
In the latest move to defuse tensions, Ruto on Thursday dismissed all cabinet ministers including the attorney-general, with the exception of Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
But the announcement, while welcomed by some, did not appease some young Kenyans frustrated with Ruto’s failure to deliver on his 2022 election promise to create jobs and boost their fortunes.
Hyrence Mwangi, 25, said: “We will be back on the streets until Ruto goes. He has wasted two years in office travelling and telling lies.”
Initially peaceful, the protests sharply escalated when police fired at crowds who stormed parliament, ransacking the partly ablaze complex.
