Running out of steam? Kenya protests are off to a slow start in fourth week

In its fourth week, Kenya protests started slowly but could pick up steam later today. For now, Ruto will count it as a win.

On Tuesday morning, Kangemi, a Nairobi suburb did not look like the epicentre of a crucial protest. While it has hosted thousands of protesters in the past three weeks, only a few hundred protesters were in Nairobi’s chilly streets on Tuesday morning, suggesting public anger may have subsided.

In Nairobi, traffic interruption is minimal, and no major roads have been blocked. The situation is similar in other cities and towns like Nakuru and Machakos. Muted protests are also ongoing in Mlolongo and Kitengela, towns on the outskirts of Nairobi.

It will count as divine intervention for President William Ruto, who asked for prayers on Sunday as public support for his government reached critical lows. He has made concessions to pacify Kenyans, withdrawing the controversial tax bill, slashing the budget, and firing his cabinet. He will hope the slow start to today’s protest is a sign that the worst is over.

On Monday, Ruto claimed the Ford Foundation, an international non-governmental organisation, is sponsoring the protests.

“We ask the Ford Foundation to explain to Kenyans its role in the recent protests,” Ruto wrote on X on Monday “We will call out all those who are bent on rolling back our hard-won democracy.”

The Ford Foundation denied the allegations and said it did not “fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grantmaking.”

The squabble with the Ford Foundation is something Ruto can afford after enduring three weeks that have turned him from media darling to persona non grata. He’ll need more prayers in the coming weeks even if these protests die out because Kenya’s debt crisis still needs a miracle.

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