Hundreds of Kenyans gathered in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park on Sunday for a concert to honor the more than three dozen people killed in recent anti-government protests. The demonstrations, which began on June 18, were sparked by planned tax hikes and calls for President William Ruto’s resignation.
At least 39 people lost their lives during the protests. Activist Boniface Mwangi, attending the concert, expressed mixed emotions: “The government is listening now because of the protests. So we are kind of happy, but there’s also a lot of sadness because so many people died for the government to listen. We’re also mourning, and we’re telling the families of those who lost their loved ones, we’re with you, and we shall honour their sacrifice.”
The concert featured local artists and saw youth holding placards with messages like “RIP Comrades” and “We promise we’ll keep fighting,” while the crowd chanted “Ruto must go.” Some attendees hammered crosses into the ground in remembrance of the deceased.
In response to the intensifying protests, President Ruto scrapped the controversial finance bill, which aimed to introduce new taxes that Kenyans argued would further increase the already high cost of living. On Friday, Ruto also announced new austerity measures, including reducing the number of his advisers and dissolving 47 state corporations to address a budget gap created by the withdrawal of the tax hikes, which were projected to raise $2.7 billion.
The concert coincided with Saba Saba Day, July 7, a significant date in Kenya’s history. On this day in 1990, similar protests began, leading to the end of the government of the late leader Daniel Arap Moi and the return of multi-party politics in the country.
