Kenya is experiencing one of its biggest protests in recent years. Young Kenyans are up in arms protesting increased taxation by the government.
The increased taxation is included in the 2024 Finance Bill, as the government aims to raise an additional $2.5 billion (Sh323bn) in taxes in the financial year beginning in July.
A young generation is now standing up against this taxation and making their voices heard. The protests dubbed “Occupy Parliament” and ‘’Reject Finance Bill’’ are being coordinated and mobilised on social media.
At the same time, they’re making use of other forms of technology to make sure their voices are heard during the protests.
A Zello channel for example has been set up where Kenyans can share their location, photos of protests and emergency contact. To use it, simply download the Zello app on your phone, go to the channels tab and use the QR code provided to join the #RejectFinanceBill2024 channel.
There’s also a *665*971# USSD available that lists and updates meetup points. It also provides updated reading materials to spread awareness and offer direct lines to emergency services.
Using social platforms, they’re also breaking down the finance bill in different vernacular languages and sharing the videos via WeeTransfer. The idea is to make sure concerns raised around the bill reach as many people as possible.
Even as this happens, X seems to be suppressing the #RejectFinanceBill2024 hashtag on its platforms.
The Finance Bill 2024 proposes punitive tax measures including 16 % VAT on bread, taxes on foreign exchange transactions and financial services, as well as a 2.5 % Motor Vehicle tax.
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