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Hundreds of people flocked to the center of Kenya\u2019s capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday to protest a proposed finance bill that many fear would significantly raise their already-elevated cost of living by adding new taxes and increasing others on a wide range of goods and services.<\/p>\n
Protesters wearing black T-shirts and blowing whistles and vuvuzelas gathered near the Parliament, adding to an outpouring of online anger trumpeted through hashtags and videos on TikTok. Lawmakers have also been flooded with phone calls and text messages pressuring them to reject the bill.<\/p>\n
Police officers used tear gas and water cannons against the protesters and quickly started making arrests. At least nine people were seen being detained near the Parliament and put into police vans, and activists and lawyers<\/a> said many more<\/a> were in custody<\/a>. The police have not yet issued a statement on the number of arrests.<\/p>\n Businesses in the central business district closed their doors as police officers chased demonstrators and sirens rang through the streets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n As protests rocked the city, the government announced it would drop some of the new taxes, including on bread. Opposition lawmakers dismissed the concession as a \u201cPR exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe frustration has been building and now it\u2019s blowing up,\u201d said Hanifa Adan, a community worker who is among the organizers of the protests.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are calling and texting our lawmakers to tell them that your loyalty lies with us voters and we say no to this bill,\u201d she said. Ms. Adan said in a post on social media<\/a> that the police had arrested her just before the protests began on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The bill, which was first presented in Parliament last month, introduces new taxes and levies that would increase the price of goods such as bread, diapers and cars. It increases import duties for goods, and raises taxes on telephone and internet data as well as money transfer fees charged by banks and other financial services. It also raises taxes for companies and operators of digital businesses such as ride-hailing and food-delivery services.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Mr. Ruto\u2019s parliamentary alliance, which has a majority in the national assembly, announced some measures would be dropped, including the tax on bread and the excise duty on vegetable oil.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have listened to you,\u201d Kimani Ichung\u2019wah, the majority leader in Parliament, said in a news conference. \u201cWe have heard you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n However, the reversal of some of the measures did not assuage protesters in the streets of Nairobi. \u201cDown, down finance bill,\u201d they chanted, and \u201cThe people united can never be defeated.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Opposition members of Parliament said they would not support the bill. The debate on the proposal starts Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI urge all members of Parliament to still vote no against the draconian, oppressive finance bill,\u201d said Babu Owino, an opposition lawmaker. Mr. Owino called the government\u2019s reversal on some of the proposals a \u201cPR exercise\u201d and accused it of being \u201cdisconnected\u201d from the day-to-day life of ordinary Kenyans.<\/p>\n Officials with the National Treasury have said the tax measures are critical for raising revenue and keeping borrowing limited in an economy encumbered by high debt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But activists, economists and religious leaders<\/a> all say higher taxes could deter investment, stifle growth and make Kenya a less competitive destination in East Africa. They also say the plan would batter crucial industries like manufacturing, transportation and financial services.<\/p>\n \u201cThe conversation around settling debt and balancing that with economic growth is important in a country facing fiscal challenges like Kenya is today,\u201d said John Kinuthia, a senior program officer with the International Budget Partnership Kenya, a nonprofit.<\/p>\n \u201cBut even as it looks for new resources, the government needs to be alive to the hue and cry that has come with these new measures and its impact, especially at the household level.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Ruto, a wealthy businessman who grew up poor<\/a>, was elected on a platform of improving the economy for millions of Kenyans struggling to make a living. That has not happened, his critics say.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n His administration raised the cost of health insurance and pension contributions for salaried employees. It scrapped fuel subsidies, introduced a housing levy and raised electricity prices. The measures \u2014 exacerbated by a biting drought followed by destructive floods \u2014 led to job losses and factory closures<\/a>, according to experts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The spike in the cost of living also sparked demonstrations last year in which the police killed at least 57 people, according to rights groups<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just been one pain after pain,\u201d said Catherine Mueni Mutuku, who owns a grocery store in the capital, Nairobi. Ms. Mutuku said she\u2019s been struggling to pay rent for her store and home while paying school fees for her child in high school.<\/p>\n \u201cThe politicians have really pushed us,\u201d said Ms. Mutuku, who attended the protest Tuesday. \u201cIt\u2019s like they aren\u2019t feeling our pain.\u201d<\/p>\n As Mr. Ruto has raised taxes and cut back on spending, his government has been dogged by major corruption scandals<\/a>. His global trips<\/a> and his penchant for expensive shoes and watches<\/a> have also drawn ire on social media. Many Kenyans call him \u201cZakayo,\u201d in reference to Zacchaeus, the biblical tax collector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yet through it all, Mr. Ruto, 57, has not only doubled down on his moves but also promised to increase taxes over the next few years. \u201cI am not going to preside over a bankrupt country,\u201d he said<\/a> last month. \u201cWe have to begin to live within our means.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the past few days, Kenyans have been sharing the contacts<\/a> of their lawmakers online and asking constituents to push them to reject the bill<\/a>. Lawmakers say they have been inundated with messages and calls<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ms. Adan, the protest organizer, said people of all political and economic stripes were united against the bill, showing how dire the situation was across the country.<\/p>\n \u201cRuto and his policies have turned everyone into an activist,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is not just a poor people\u2019s protest. This is everyone\u2019s protest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n