UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, June 26, said he was deeply saddened by the reports of deaths and injuries - including of journalists and medical personnel - connected to protests and street demonstrations in Kenya.

Kenyan President William Ruto termed Tuesday's street protests in the East African nation as treasonous, noting that his government will soon provide an expeditious response to the situation, Xinhua reports. In his televised address to the nation, Ruto said the government has mobilized all its resources to ensure the situation does not occur again "at whatever cost."

ALSO READ: Five die as President Ruto deploys military to quell protests

In a post on his official X account, Guterres said: “I urge the Kenyan authorities to exercise restraint, and call for all demonstrations to take place peacefully.” 

Guterres’s call for restraint followed a similar call by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Amb Moussa Faki Mahamat, who released a statement hours earlier, on Tuesday, urging all stakeholders to exercise calm and refrain from further violence. The AUC Chairperson also appealed to Kenyan stakeholders to “engage in constructive dialogue to address the contentious issues that led to the protests in the supreme interest of Kenya.” 

President Ruto on Tuesday directed security organs to use all means possible to thwart any threats to the country's national security.

"It is possible that the criminals who reigned terror on innocent people and challenged our security organs are likely to continue with this behaviour," he said, adding that the planners, financiers and abetters of the protests would not go scot-free.

Ruto's remarks came a few hours after at least five protestors were shot dead and more than 150 others injured as protests erupted countrywide for the second week in a row against new taxation measures proposed. The protestors gathered in various towns across Kenya, including the capital Nairobi, where they breached the heavily guarded premises to enter both the National Assembly and the Senate, destroying property and marching into the buildings despite police firing live bullets in the air.

In his address, Ruto said the government would not tolerate crime masked as democratic expression. "The government will secure the nation and any threats to national security are a danger to the Republic and will be dealt with," he said.

The president observed that the national conversation on what affects the nation would only be done under the rule of law, constitutionalism, and respect for the nation.

Ruto spoke as Aden Duale, the cabinet secretary for defence, gazetted the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces to aid the police in curbing protests.

The Kenya Defence Forces were deployed on Tuesday in support of the National Police Service in response to the security emergency caused by ongoing violent protests in various parts of the country, Duale said.

Uhuru Kenyatta appealed for calm and dialogue

In a statement issued on Tuesday, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta appealed for calm and dialogue, noting that he is saddened by the loss of lives occasioned by the protests.

Kenyatta asked elected leaders to listen to the people's grievances, calling for calm and for the leadership "to show restraint and do the right thing by listening to the people and not be antagonistic to them."

The lawmakers on Tuesday morning passed the contentious finance bill 2024, seeking to raise an additional 346.7 billion shillings (2.67 billion U.S. dollars), by such measures as increasing the railway development levy from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent and the import declaration fee from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent.

The legislators also imposed an eco-levy on imported items like smartphones and electronics, noting they end up as electronic waste damaging the environment.

Ruto, who won the elections in August 2022 on the platform of helping the poor, has been under pressure to raise additional revenues in the country amid rising government debt repayments.

The finance bill was thus amended to remove the proposed 16 percent VAT on bread, transportation of sugar, financial services, foreign exchange transactions, and the 2.5 percent motor vehicle tax.

There will be no increase in mobile money transfer fees, and the excise duty on vegetable oil has also been removed. Levies on the housing fund and the proposed one on social health insurance will not attract income tax, The New Times

By JULIUS MBALUTO 

Kenya's fourth President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for calm after destruction and loss of life following the protests against Finance Bill 2024. 

"My fellow Kenyans, I come to you with a heavy heart saddened by the loss of life occasioned by the situation prevailing in our country. It's the right of every Kenyan to protest as determined by the constitution promulgated in 2010. It's also the duty of the leader to listen to those they lead. At this trying time for our country , I want to remind all leaders that they were elected by the people. Listening to the people is not a choice but a mandate enshrined in the principles of our constitution and the philosophy of democracy. Leader must know that power and authority they have is donated to them by the people. And therefore call for calm and for the leadership to show restraint and do the right thing by listening to the people and not to be antagonistic to them. Violence on either side is not the answer. "

This comes after protest over the controversial Finance bill saw demonstrator clash with the police resulting to deaths of five people. During the protest Parliament was set on Fire, The Supreme Court building, City Hall and other places houses and businesses belonging to MPs who voted for the bill. After passing the controversial bill, some MPs took shelter in the parliament basement. 

The day was marked with sounds of gun shots and teargas. The burning and clash between the police and protesters took place in  many cities and towns across Kenya. President Ruto has blamed the clashes and destruction on criminals who he calls terrorists.

Earlier today, the leader of Majority in National Assembly Kimani Ichungwa tabled a motion seeking to legally ratify government's decision to deploy Kenya Defence Forces(KDF) officers to tackle protesters.  

"THAT, pursuant to Article 241(3)(c) of the Constitution and sections 31(1)(b), 31(1)(c) and 32 of the Kenya Defence Forces Act, Cap. 199, this House accedes to the request of the Defence Council dated 26th June 2024 and, in the interest of national security, approves the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in support of the National Police Service in various parts of the Republic of Kenya affected by ongoing violent protests that have caused destruction to critical infrastructure until normalcy is restored," read the motion in part.

Kenya Defence CS Aden Duale said the deployment was necessary to curtail rogue protesters. Kenyans accused the state of deploying military to handle unarmed protesters. Kenyans argued that KDF should only be deployed during state of emergencies or disaster, to restore peace.

BY LARYN MUTASA

CA (Communication Authority) has assured Kenyans that internet won't be disrupted during the Gen Z protests. The Law Society of Kenya with other 26 international and local lobby groups had made claims that the government had plans to shut down internet services due to Gen Z protests.

CA has said it won't shut down internet as doing so would jeopardize the country fast growing digital economy. The ongoing protests across the country is still trending on social media.