Headline
You Can’t Kill All Of Us,’ Kenya Protesters Vow To March Again
Published
1 year agoon
By
Editor
Kenyan protest organisers called Wednesday for fresh peaceful marches against deeply unpopular tax hikes, as the death toll from nationwide demonstrations climbed to 22, a state-funded rights body said, vowing an investigation.
Tensions sharply escalated Tuesday, as police opened fire on demonstrators who stormed parliament after the mainly youth-led rallies began mostly peacefully last week with thousands marching across the country against the tax increases.
The unprecedented scenes left parts of parliament ablaze and gutted and hundreds of people wounded, shocking Kenyans and prompting President William Ruto’s government to deploy the military.
On Tuesday afternoon, parliament passed the contentious bill containing the tax hikes, which must be signed by Ruto to become law.
But demonstrators vowed to hit the streets again Thursday as they called for the bill to be scrapped.
“Tomorrow we march peacefully again as we wear white, for all our fallen people,” protest organiser Hanifa Adan said on X.
READ ALSO: Rivers: Bonny Youths Protest , Shut Down Oil Companies Over Alleged Neglect
“You cannot kill all of us.”
Demonstrators shared “Tupatane Thursday” (“we meet Thursday” in Swahili), alongside the hashtag #Rejectfinancebill2024 on social media.
“The government does not care about us because they shot us with live bullets,” Steve, 40, who was at the parliament Tuesday, told AFP.
Ruto “victimised innocent people”, he said, adding he would march on Thursday: “I expect more violence and chaos.”
Roseline Odede, chairwoman of the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, said “we have recorded 22 deaths”, adding that they would launch an investigation.
“This is the largest number of deaths (in) a single day protest,” she said, adding that 19 people had died in the capital Nairobi.
“We have over 300 injured in our records and over 50 arrests,” she added.
Earlier, Simon Kigondu, president of the Kenya Medical Association, said he had never before seen “such level of violence against unarmed people.”
READ ALSO: JUST IN: NLC Storms LP Office, Demands Abure’s Resignation
An official at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi said Wednesday that medics were treating “160 people… some of them with soft tissue injuries, some of them with bullet wounds”.
– ‘Violence and anarchy’ –
In posts online, protest organisers shared fundraising efforts to support those hurt in the demonstrations.
Ruto warned late Tuesday that his government would take a tough line against “violence and anarchy”, likening some of the demonstrators to “criminals”.
“It is not in order or even conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established under our constitution and expect to go scot-free,” he said.
Shortly before his address, Defence Minister Aden Bare Duale announced that the army had been brought in to tackle “the security emergency” in the country.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Keyamo Halts Enforcement Of Helicopter Landing Levies
A heavy police presence was deployed around parliament early on Wednesday, according to an AFP reporter, the smell of tear gas still in the air.
A policeman standing in front of the broken barricades to the complex told AFP he had watched the scenes unfold on TV.
“It was madness, we hope it will be calm today,” he said.
– ‘Didn’t leave anything’ –
In the central business district, where the protests have been concentrated, traders surveyed the damage.
“They didn’t leave anything, just the boxes. I don’t know how long it will take me to recover,” James Ng’ang’a, whose electronics shop was looted, told AFP.
READ ALSO: Kenyan Policeman Shoots Judge In Court For Revoking Wife’s Bail
Ruto’s administration has been taken by surprise by the intensity of opposition to its tax hikes.
And while the rallies — mostly led by young, Gen-Z Kenyans — have been largely peaceful, tensions rose sharply Tuesday afternoon when officers fired at crowds near parliament.
Demonstrators then breached parliament barricades, ransacking the partly ablaze complex, with local TV showing burnt furniture and smashed windows.
AFP journalists saw three people bleeding heavily and lying motionless on the ground.
– Cost of living –
The unrest has alarmed the international community, with more than 10 Western nations including the United States saying they were “especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament”.
READ ALSO: Ruto Ready For ‘Conversation’ With Youth Protesters, Says Kenya’s Presidency
Rights watchdogs have also accused the authorities of abducting protesters.
The police have not responded to AFP requests for comment.
Long-running grievances over the rising cost of living spiralled last week as lawmakers began debating the bill containing the tax hikes.
The cash-strapped government says the increases are needed to service the country’s massive debt of some 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion), equal to roughly 70 per cent of Kenya’s GDP.
The treasury has warned of a gaping budget shortfall of 200 billion shillings, following Ruto’s decision last week to roll back some of the most controversial tax hikes.
While Kenya is among East Africa’s most dynamic economies, a third of its 52 million population live in poverty.
AFP
You may like
BREAKING: Emir’s Palace, NDLEA Office Set Ablaze As Protest Rocks Kwara
Paternity Dispute: Cubana Chief Priest Sues Alleged Baby Mama, Hellen Ati In Kenya
Ghanaians Protest, Decry ‘State-sponsored’ Harassment In Abuja
June 12 Protest: Security Operatives Barricade N’Assembly Gate
Organisers Unveil Venues For June 12 Protest
Tension Brews As Gov Bago Pardons 11 Murder Convicts
Headline
‘They Checked My Instagram’ – Nigerian Lady Breaks Down After Landing In U.S, Denied Entry
Published
21 hours agoon
June 29, 2025By
Editor
A Nigerian businesswoman has taken to social media to share her frustration and heartbreak after being denied entry into the United States, despite holding a valid visa.
In a video recorded on her return flight to Nigeria, the visibly distraught woman revealed that she was travelling to Texas for a trade fair.
She said she possessed a B1/B2 visa, which allows travel for both tourism and business meetings.
READ ALSO:‘Netanyahu Must Go’, Israel’s Ex-PM Calls Leadership ‘Catastrophic’
However, upon arrival in the U.S., things took a turn.
“I was denied entrance into the US and that is because my visa [is] a B1–B2 visa which is [for] tourism/business meetings,” she explained tearfully.
“When I landed, I was detained for 24 hours and I was questioned. I told them I was going to exhibit but I did not know any better because the US has your data and your Instagram page.”
READ ALSO:Middle East Crisis Dominates EU Foreign Ministers’ Brussels Meeting
According to her, immigration officials scrutinised her social media activity and private messages, using them to challenge her stated purpose of visit.
“Apparently, my Instagram says different. They even checked all my messages with my customers. The customers I have been telling that we are coming, they can pick up and all of that,” she said through tears.
Headline
Uganda: After 39 Years In Power, 80-year-old Yoweri Museveni To Seek Re-election
Published
1 day agoon
June 29, 2025By
Editor
Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, has announced his intention to run in the country’s next presidential election, extending a rule that began nearly four decades ago.
In a post on the X platform late Saturday, Museveni said he had “expressed my interest in running for… the position of presidential flag bearer,” for his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
The 80-year-old leader has governed Uganda since 1986 after seizing power following a five-year guerrilla war. Under his leadership, the ruling NRM has twice amended the constitution, allowing him to remain in office beyond term and age limits.
READ ALSO:Ugandan President Ignores S’Court Ruling, Approves Law To Try Civilians In Military Courts
According to Reuters, right groups have long accused Museveni of deploying security forces and leveraging patronage to hold onto power, an allegation he denies.
Explaining his decision to seek reelection, Museveni said he aims to grow Uganda’s economy to a ”$500 billion economy in the next five years.” According to the finance ministry, the country’s GDP currently stands at about $66 billion.
Uganda is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in January next year. Museveni’s main challenger is expected to be opposition figure and pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, who came second in the 2021 election and has declared his intention to contest again in 2026.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, rejected the 2021 results, alleging his victory had been stolen through “ballot stuffing, intimidation by security forces and other irregularities.”
Headline
‘Netanyahu Must Go’, Israel’s Ex-PM Calls Leadership ‘Catastrophic’
Published
1 day agoon
June 29, 2025By
Editor
Naftali Bennett, Israel’s former Prime Minister, stated in a televised interview that current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must leave office.
Bennett refrained from saying whether he plans to challenge the longest-serving leader in the country in an upcoming election.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that aired on Saturday, Bennett commented, “Netanyahu has been in power for 20 years… that’s too much; it’s not healthy.”
He called attention to Netanyahu’s “heavy responsibility for the divisions in Israeli society,” highlighting the growing rifts that have emerged under Netanyahu’s leadership, especially regarding his handling of the Gaza war since October 2023.
READ ALSO:Israel’s Netanyahu Says Iran Will ‘Pay Heavy Price’ After Hospital Hit
Bennett, a right-wing leader who joined forces with Netanyahu’s critics to form a coalition that ousted him from office after 12 consecutive years, insisted that “Netanyahu must go.”
However, the fragile coalition government Bennett led, along with current opposition leader Yair Lapid, collapsed after about a year. This led to snap elections, resulting in Netanyahu regaining the premiership with support from far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.
Although Bennett has taken time away from politics, there are rumors of a potential comeback, with public opinion polls indicating he may have enough support to defeat Netanyahu again. Currently, no elections are scheduled before late 2026, but early elections are common in Israel.
In his Saturday interview, Bennett claimed credit for laying the groundwork for Israel’s bombardment campaign earlier this month against Iranian nuclear and military sites.
READ ALSO:Netanyahu Vows To Thwart ‘Any Attempt’ By Iran To Rebuild Nuclear Programme
The decision to launch attacks against the Islamic Republic “was very good” and “needed,” said Bennett, claiming that the offensive would not have been possible without the work of his short-lived government.
In Gaza, where Israel has waged war since Hamas’s October 2023 attack, Bennett said the military has displayed “exceptional” performance, but “the political management of the country” was “a catastrophe, a disaster”.
Criticising the Netanyahu government’s “inability to decide,” the former prime minister called for an immediate “comprehensive” agreement that would see all remaining hostages freed from Gaza.
“Leave the task of eliminating Hamas to a future government,” said Bennett, who also evaded several questions about whether he intends to run for office.
AFP
- Panic As Bees Invade Central Mosque In Edo
- BREAKING: APC Fixes Date For NEC Meeting
- NCAA Grounds Rano Air Aircraft After Mid-flight Engine Failure
- BREAKING: Emir’s Palace, NDLEA Office Set Ablaze As Protest Rocks Kwara
- JUST IN: Dalori Chairs First APC NWC Meeting Following Ganduje’s Resignation
- NEC Meeting: Police Manhandle, Arrest Worker At PDP Secretariat
- JUST IN: Police Besiege PDP Headquarters Ahead Of NEC Meeting
- JUST IN: Court Grants Natasha Bail On Self-recognition
- OPINION: For Ganduje And Kabiyesi
- Chelsea Agree Deal To Sign Brighton Forward Joao Pedro
About Us
Trending
- News3 days ago
Arson: Man To Pay N150m For Burning FRSC Patrol Vehicle In Bauchi
- Politics3 days ago
BREAKING: Confusion As APC Chair, Ganduje Resigns
- Politics3 days ago
‘Peace Has Returned To Rivers’ — Wike, Fubara Speak After Meeting Tinubu
- Metro4 days ago
20 Soldiers, Scores Of Bandits Die In Niger Clash
- Politics4 days ago
2027: Drama As Two ‘ADA’ Emerge In INEC’s List Of 110 Party Registration Bids
- News4 days ago
Full List Of Schengen Countries Offering 5-yr Visa Programme
- Politics5 days ago
Edo PDP Expresses Concern Over Okpebholo’s ₦100bn Loan, Says ‘It’s Another Conduit Pipe’
- Politics5 days ago
FCT Polls: APC Releases Names Of Primary Election Committee Members
- News24 hours ago
Auchi Poly Mass Comm Class of 2006 Holds Maiden Reunion in Benin
- Metro4 days ago
JUST IN: Gospel Singer Sentenced To Death For Killing Girlfriend