Temperatures are rising in the country with calls for the “Mother of All Protests” on Thursday, August 8th, intensifying. Dubbed the Nane Nane March, these protests will undoubtedly be the ultimate litmus test for the proposed broad-based government.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
As pressure from recent anti-government protests piled up, President William Ruto sought to deploy the military to the streets to quell the demonstrations.
The President later submitted to the protest demands, first withdrawing the 2024 Finance Bill and then disbanding his Cabinet, a move that earned him applause in several quarters at the time.
However, the youth have returned to a state of anger, despair, and disenfranchisement with the head of state after the President reappointed 10 of the 22 individuals he had fired. Furthermore, the head of state nominated four individuals from the opposition to the Cabinet.
President Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga have since taken the position that they are now working together to unite Kenyans and halt the anti-government protests.
This move seems not to have sat well with a section of the Kenyan youth, and once again, mobilization is on with posters flooding timelines on social media calling for the “Mother of All Protests” dubbed Nane Nane March.
This new round of protests offers a unique challenge for the broad-based government. If they go ahead as planned, it will be clear as day that the newfound Ruto-Raila alliance is a far cry from appeasing the youth.
Previously, opposition chief Raila Odinga has been at the forefront of condemning police brutality and excessive use of force against protesters. On which side will Raila be on come Thursday?
According to political analyst Javas Bigambo, the reconstituting of the Cabinet may have added to the tension.
“The issues of the Cabinet may not necessarily work for President William Ruto because the youth feel a form of betrayal as some quarters have taken advantage of the situation,” he says.
The police, in their statement on Tuesday morning, called on protesters to be peaceful but also issued a stern warning to anyone violating the law.
On social media platforms, the pressure is not decreasing. In recent X Spaces, the youth have been calling on each other to come out and be counted in the Nane Nane March....CONTINUE READING>>
