By Debra Rono
The Occupy Parliament protests today has entered its day two with Mombasa town residents taking to the streets to express their opposition to the Finance Bill 2024 currently under discussion in parliament.
Despite heavy rainfall, the demonstrators, predominantly dressed in white, gathered as early as 9 am, armed with placards and posters to voice their dissatisfaction with the finance bill and pleading the lawmakers to listen to them.
According to online posts, the protesters assembled at Pembe za ndovu, Mwembe tayari, and Makadara grounds at 9am before marching through the streets.
The protesters faced tear gas canisters launched by anti-riot police officers who were deployed to control the demonstrations.
Similar to the events in Nairobi, the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, continued to play a prominent role in the protests.
On Tuesday, demonstrations took place in Nairobi’s CBD, resulting in the arrest and subsequent release of several protesters.
In a press conference, Kuria Kimani, the chairperson of the National Assembly finance committee, announced that the government had abandoned its plan to impose a 16% value-added tax on bread, financial services, and foreign exchange transactions due to pressure from Kenyans.
Additionally, the controversial motor vehicle tax was eliminated, along with excise duty on vegetable oil, and locally-made goods were exempted from the proposed eco levy. However, the proposed excise duty on eggs, onions, and potatoes was retained for imported products only.
The members of parliament will vote on Thursday to determine whether to reject or pass the bill.