Kenyan protesters are uniting to oppose the tax hikes the Kenyan government has recently proposed. The response from the police ended in the deaths of five people. Many protesters have taken the Parliament building. There was a nationwide strike, which turned into some protesters taking control of government buildings. Police have been teargassing, abducting human rights advocates, shooting bullets into crowds, and organizations like the UN and the African Union are asking the police to back down. Not only is this an issue for Kenya, but it is also an issue for Haiti because thousands of Kenyan police officers are now in Haiti to begin their peacekeeping mission.
President William Ruto has stated that the protesters are “treasonous” but there is no call from protesters to overthrow the Kenyan government. Protesters are fighting against tax hikes so to paint them as insurrectionists is wrong and meant to purposefully disinform the world as to what the intent of the protests are about.
Kenyans should be questioning tax hikes. The government is trying to reduce their debt which is high and does need to be reduced. Kenyans are concerned that these tax increases will do more harm to the economy than good. They simply do not have any more money to give to the government and it will force people into poverty if passed.
What needs to occur is a dialogue between protesters and government officials. Protesters have a legitimate issue and should be heard. They went on strike and took over buildings because they are not being heard. People resort to violence when those in power refuse to listen. The oppressed have no other option, and the oppressor then demonizes the oppressed and resorts to extreme violence to exert their authority and position. Those are actions of a government that does not want to listen and does not care for the people that put them into office when they allow the police and direct the police to kill innocent protesters.
Now that some of the Kenyan police force has arrived in Haiti, what will the fate of Haiti be with officers who have a clear tendency to be violent and commit crimes against humanity? The Kenyan officers will not be charged with crimes in Haiti, but will be punished accordingly in Kenya. This is per the agreement between Haitian officials and Kenyan officials. If they remain static, and not dynamic, their presence won’t beget further violence unless they are attacked. When the Kenyan police officers go into a more dynamic mode, the Haitian militias will fight back fiercely.
The armed militias in Haiti that have overtaken Port-au-Prince might be motivated to an even deadlier level of violence when the officers are deployed. It seems like the officers won’t face any repercussions if they also choose this degree of escalation.
What leaders and humanitarian organizations should be doing is coordinating dialogues between all parties to ensure peace, diplomacy, and human rights. The situation in Kenya could be worked out quickly if Kenyan elected officials listened to their constituents and their pleas. The situation in Haiti could benefit from dialogues between Haitians, militia leaders, and the temporary council. Get to the root of the issues in both Kenya and Haiti. Listen to the people. Respect their opinion and their needs. There are solutions that are out there but everyone needs to come together to solve them and that takes dialogue. Agreeing to conversations is one thing, but sitting down and taking to heart the words of your people is integral to any democratic government.
The problem is that Kenyan officials are not listening, and the Kenyan police force has shown that it is not the right fit for a peacekeeping mission in Haiti if this is how they treat their own people who are fighting against assured poverty.
Uphold diplomacy
Listen to the people
Have an open, solution-oriented mindset
Listen to the people
May the whole world be free.
Vote 3rd party
Protest
BE UNGOVERNABLE
Boycott
Disrupt everything
Never give up your rights
Demand sanctions and embargoes for Israel, US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, RSF, UAE, Russia, SAF, M23, and Rwanda.
Please extend your energy to other countries and people facing atrocities and genocide in Sudan, DRC, Haiti, West Papua, the Rohingyas, Armenians, and the Uyghurs.
Articles for reference. Please read and share.
CNN: Kenya’s president calls protests ‘treasonous’ after police fire live rounds at demonstrators
Reuters: Kenya’s finance bill: Why has it triggered protests?
The Washington Post: U.N.-approved, Kenya-led security force finally arrives in Haiti