With nationwide demonstrations scheduled for this week, parents fear for their children’s safety as schools close for the half-term holiday.
A confrontation is imminent between young Gen Z protesters and law enforcement, particularly in Nairobi on Tuesday, June 25, following the killing of Rex, one of their own, by the police.
They have pledged to gather in the tens of thousands tomorrow and directly confront law enforcers nationwide, with Nairobi as the epicentre.
Rex Kanyike Masai, a 29-year old protester, tragically lost his life during the anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations in Nairobi. The young man was allegedly shot by a rogue police officer along Moi Avenue in Nairobi’s CBD.
Parents who eagerly await their children’s return home for the half-term holiday, scheduled from June 26 to 28, 2024, find the current situation unsettling. Parents fear that the protests may spill over to Wednesday, June 26.
This is because on Thursday, June 20, the protesters camped in town upto almost midnight. The protests took place in 19 out of 47 counties across the nation.
The protests were sparked by government plans to raise taxes, aiming to generate an additional $2.7 billion. The tax hikes included a 2.75 per cent levy on income for the national medical insurance plan and increased taxes on items like vegetable oil and fuel.
Protesters flocked the streets demanding that lawmakers reject the proposed legislation, which would burden salaried Kenyans, entrepreneurs, and consumers.
The Ministry of Education had adjusted the half-term dates from June 20 to 23 to June 26 to 28 due to prolonged school closures caused by heavy rainfall and floods.
Principals of all secondary schools are set to have a Kenya Secondary School Heads (KESSHA) conference in Mombasa beginning today.
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