Forgive us for supporting Finance Bill, Kenyan lawmaker begs protesters
Kenyan member of parliament, Joseph Namuar, on Thursday publicly apologised for supporting passage of the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
Apologising over the Finance bill 2024 during a press briefing on Thursday, Mr Namuar, representing Central Turkana in the parliament, said “If there is a way we did wrong for those of us who voted YES we ask for your forgiveness.”
The lawmakers lauded President William Ruto for withdrawing the Finance Bill, saying “And just the way the president called for a dialogue, we as the president’s soldiers, ask for forgiveness on his behalf.”
Mr Ruto bowed to public pressure, withdrawing the controversial Finance Bill recommending tax on cars, phones, bread, sanitary pads and other commodities, amid nationwide protest on Wednesday.
“Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” Mr Ruto said in a live broadcast.
Protests against the bill started last week and turned bloody as police fired bullets at the protesters in Nairobi on Tuesday as they tried to occupy the National Assembly.
Defying police clampdown and shootings, protesters eventually broke into the parliament, torching a section and the Supreme Court.
Amnesty International, in a statement on Wednesday, said 23 were killed as police shot at protesters on Tuesday, injuring 200 with 50 abducted.
The human organisation accused Mr Ruto of overseeing massacre of citizen, calling for his trial at the International Criminal Court.
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