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Ruto: There will be no election based on post-Finance Bill crisis

Police officers stand outside the Parliament building in Nairobi, where protesters against the Finance Bill 2024/2025, were shot dead on June 26, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Sunday, June 30, 2024

President Ruto appeared to downplay protest calls for his resignation, for reasons including a bloated budget, mega corruption, excessive taxation, and the lack of proper basic services.

President William Ruto has dismissed the possibility of holding an election due to the crisis brought on by nationwide protests against the now-withdrawn Finance Bill, 2024.

Following the successful campaign for the proposed laws for higher taxes to be rejected, the public, the majority of them Gen Z, now want Ruto to resign. They say they will continue marching in towns across the country to compel a change in government.

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In an interview on Sunday night, however, the president said the people had a right to opinions about his leadership and that he had accepted the nickname "Zakayo", from the Bible story of Zaccheus, the chief tax collector.

He spoke on live television on Sunday night, in a roundtable interview he requested, which was broadcast from the State House in Nairobi with Linus Kaikai (Citizen TV), Joe Ageyo (NTV), and Eric Latiff (KTN).

Joe Ageyo: So it doesn't bother you that there is a tag on your head as a president who overtaxed Kenyans and that the sufferings you are going through is because of excessive taxations you have imposed on Kenyans?

President William Ruto: If being called Zakayo stems from my… pic.twitter.com/IOVZ4dz8NM
— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) June 30, 2024

Ruto further noted that the events of the past two weeks do not justify any disregard for the Constitution.

“There is no provision for an election. Whatever we do, we must keep it within the parameters of the rule of law. We will be marching towards anarchy,” he said.

Instead, the head of state assured that he would handle the country's current situation with care to keep systems from collapsing.

He announced plans to reduce the number of government advisers, ministries, and state departments in response to public outcry over the Finance Bill.

“There will be a cut down on many things. Maybe we will ban harambees to stop any demonstration of opulence and cut down on allowances."

Ruto added that the current crisis could be a blessing in disguise, as it could encourage Kenyans to have candid discussions about key national affairs, such as the huge foreign debt.

“This crisis is a very important reflection point for the country. In 2013, the country's debt stock was Sh1.8 trillion. In 10 years, it increased five times,” he said, highlighting the need to make good decisions and save the country from collapsing.