Police fire tear gas as Kenyan youth return to the streets, decrying corruption and inequality.
Today, thousands of Kenyan protesters—many of them young and unemployed—returned to the streets of Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa to reignite demonstrations against President William Ruto’s administration.
The protests, initially sparked by a controversial finance bill, have evolved into a broader movement against government corruption and income inequality.
Police responded with tear gas and water cannons in Nairobi, while some demonstrators carried placards calling for "justice, not taxes." Civil society groups accuse the Ruto administration of ignoring economic realities and pushing austerity measures that disproportionately hurt the poor.
The government has labeled the protests "unlawful," citing violence in earlier demonstrations. However, protest leaders say they are exercising constitutional rights to resist a government that has lost touch with ordinary citizens.
International observers, including the African Union, have urged restraint on both sides. Meanwhile, videos of young people being dragged by police have gone viral, fueling more public outrage.
The Ruto government, now under pressure, must navigate rising youth discontent in a country already struggling with debt, inflation, and rising unemployment.
I'm Adedayo Obadina
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