Nairobi Senator Sifuna Hints at Azimio la Umoja’s Street Protest after Controversial Finance Bill Passage
Edwin Sifuna, a senator from Nairobi. Hinted on June 21 that Azimio la Umoja is preparing to take to the streets. Following the passage of the controversial Finance Bill.
In an interview with Radio Citizen. Sifuna expressed regret that the political formation led by Raila Odinga failed to oppose the bill in the House of Representatives. Their only remaining option was to call for mass demonstrations.
The lawmaker added that, unlike in the past, thousands of Kenyans would take to the streets. Regardless of their political affiliations when mass protests returned.
“The voice of the people is the voice of God, and it is more powerful than that of their representatives,” he stated again.
In the past, when Azimio la Umoja organized protests against the high cost of living that garnered a significant turnout. The demonstrations were primarily concentrated in opposition strongholds.
Sifuna remarked that the second wave of protests would have a national scope. Because every Kenyan would feel the pinch of the rising cost of living as a result of tax increases.
“It is humiliating for any Kenyan to wake up needing to borrow Ksh100 to survive. If this is the true situation, I want to see this anger reflected when we go to these demonstrations,” he remarked.
The senator from Nairobi stated that the only way President William Ruto’s government will listen to Kenyans’ grievances is through mass action.
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“The government has no other option but to listen. We observed that an increase in the price of bread sparked the Arab Spring protests that shook several countries.
“They (Kenya Kwanza) misled us into believing they were open to dialogue. Sifuna added, “I explained that we must first negotiate the high cost of living.”
He disclosed that the Kenya Kwanza side of the bipartisan talks did not attend the scheduled meetings. And when they did, they were uninterested in addressing issues affecting Kenyans.
“It was evident that they lacked direction from their superiors as they arrived late to meetings,” he explained.
Sifuna added that the mass demonstrations would be entirely voluntary and those who were satisfied with the government could remain at home.
The Finance Bill, which was passed on June 21st, proposed an increase in taxes to generate the revenue the government claimed it required to finance development projects.
Among the proposed taxes are a 16 percent value-added tax on fuel, a tax on the Housing Fund, and a withholding tax on content creators.
Nairobi Senator Sifuna Hints at Azimio la Umoja’s Street Protest after Controversial Finance Bill Passage
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