Metro

Kenyan protesters clash with police during demonstration against tax hike

Published

1 year ago

June 6, 2023

Kenyan demonstrators protesting a planned hike in Finance Tax, on Tuesday, clashed with the police which led to injuries to some of the protesters after the police fired teargas at the crowd in a bid to disperse them.

The demonstrators had taken to major streets in the capital, Nairobi to kick against rising cost of living crisis triggered by new Finance Bill set to implement “fresh or increased taxes” approved by President William Ruto.

The proposed bill known as the Finance Bill 2023, is seeking to impose new and increased taxes on a wide range of items including fuel, food items, beauty products, crypto currencies and social media influencers.

According to local media, the protesters in their hundreds, carrying placards with different inscriptions like “Down down finance bill”, “They want to kill us with hunger”, “Will more taxation lead to low cost of living” and “Poverty is man-made,” marched to the Kenyan parliament to register their grievances when the police fired several volleys of tear gas and arrested 11 people, bundling them into a police truck, to try to disperse the demonstration.

Shortly after winning the presidential election last August, Ruto, who had campaigned on a “platform of helping the poor,” had defended the bill, saying its provisions were needed to ensure financial stability and create jobs for young people by building new houses financed through a housing levy.

However, the opposition Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) party, which has been leading protests against the government over the high cost of living and alleged fraud in last year’s election, has insisted that the bill will take the country back to the 1980s, when the economy started to deteriorate.

“We have refused to sit back and watch as Kenyans are being harassed to fix cash crunch caused by economic mismanagement, wasteful spending, corruption and skewed and incompetent hiring into critical public positions,” the Azimio said in a statement.

Related Topics:Featured Finance Tax High Cost of Living Kenya president William Ruto Protest

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Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

1 hour ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

Metro

Zambia: President Hichilema urges traditional leaders to invoke rainmaking powers amid drought

Published

19 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called on traditional leaders to call upon their rainmaking powers by praying for rain as the nation continues to face the menace of drought.

Hichilema, who made the plea while speaking during the Shikaumpa traditional ceremony of the Ila people in Namwala on Sunday, expressed hope for divine intervention and sufficient rains.

“We pray that this year, God will give us rains, sufficient rains, so we can grow more food, so we can take care of the things, the assets that we keep,” the President stated.

He noted that he was informed of certain chiefs known for their rainmaking abilities, including Senior Chief Mwamba of Northern Province, Chief Sailunga of North-Western Province and Mwami Monze from the Southern Province and urged them to use their powers to invoke rain, adding that the chiefs should continue their prayers for rain, believing that “God will hear our cry.”

The President also encouraged not only the chiefs but also the churches and the entire nation to join in prayers for rain.

“All of us, the churches, everybody, we must pray for rains so that we can take care of God’s people properly,” he said.

The head of state further urged farmers to intensify efforts at planting crops and maximizing their harvest for national food security once the rain comes.

The drought in Zambia in recent
seasons have left 84 districts severely impacted, leading to food shortages and a worsening electricity deficit due to low water levels.