At this point we have today seen passage of the Ruto Finance Bill on third reading in Parliament, breach of Parliament by protesters and the shooting deaths of several by Kenya’s police. Lots of teargas, attempts to intimidate media, and an apparent major internet slowdown. Fires at Nairobi city hall and at least some other seats of County Governments and homes of Government-supporting MPs as protesters are on the streets or more in most counties.
Finally a joint statement from most of the Western embassies and one from Raila Odinga after extraordinary silence.
When the US misplayed the 2007 elections and crisis erupted, we were then able to step up diplomatically to help ameliorate the crisis. This is more challenging because the embrace of Ruto by rookie Ambassador Whitman and the subsequent love fest in Washington. Terrible timing whether completely coincidental or not. Washington seems to have picked a very bad time to forget what we called for years “the reform agenda”.
The protests had been peaceful in spite of police abuse until now, but seem to be in uncharted territory with some direct action including arson against targeted property and vandalism of ambulances and other conduct that is of a very different character. How much support is there to actually try to overthrow the government in the streets versus on X? I don’t know but I hope that people who are on salary from my tax dollars to manage the US – Kenyan relationship do.
Update: see attached copy of statement from 13 democratic embassies (including US) and Gazette notice from Cabinet Secretary for Defense Aden Duale purportedly authorizing deployment of Kenya’s military in response to “security emergency” caused by “violent protests . . . resulting in destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure”. The Kenyan constitution places this power of domestic emergency military deployment with Parliament, not with the individual Cabinet Secretary.
And Ruto has given a combative and unapologetic 9:00pm local time address – seems assured to drive crisis versus de-escalation.
