NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 4 – Police have dispersed a group of women demonstrating outside Parliament, where they scattered vegetables while protesting against the Finance Bill 2024.
The group of about 200 women, protesting under the banner “Mama Mboga Revolution,” was led by comedian Eric Omondi.
“The proposed taxes are going to make life unbearable,” one of the women yelled before police arrested Omondi, who was leading the demo. Omondi could be heard shouting through a portable loudspeaker, accusing legislators of failing Kenyans.
The demonstrators were waving placards with messages such as “Mama Mboga Revolution,” “Wabunge Wasaliti,” and “No to Finance Bill.”
The protest temporarily disrupted traffic on Parliament Road before police cleared the area.
Kenyans have voiced concerns about the Finance Bill, which they say will make life unbearable. The bill is set to be tabled in Parliament next week. A section of leaders, both in the Opposition and government, have called for the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, warning that it could lead to a revolution due to the proposed taxes. “We are courting a revolution. You cannot tax a payslip to the skin. I will vote against it totally; I will not even pick and choose,” Ugenya MP David Ochieng said.
“I want to advise those who are listening: this whole finance bill of this year is ill-conceived and should be withdrawn,” he added.
