For the past three weeks, the Republic of Kenya has been engulfed in violent protests, as the Youths have occupied the streets. Among their demands, were the immediate reversal of the nation’s controversial Finance Bill 2024, good governance, and even the resignation of the country’s President, William Ruto. So far, the Government of Kenya has responded and jettisoned the Finance Bill.
Like Nigeria’s #EndSARS which took place in October, 2020, the Kenyan protests have claimed several innocent lives. Dr Mudiaga Odje, Richmond Ekhosuehi Idaeho and Bolaji Idowu examine the correlation between these two African Youth Protests, and what lessons can be learned therefrom Correlation and Lessons from Kenya’s Uprising and Nigeria’s #EndSARS Protests Dr Mudiaga Odje Introduction Indeed, the recent gale of protests in Kenya accentuated primarily by Tax Bill of the Government, must be sending cold shivers down other countries in Africa, especially Sub Saharan, Africa. The protests were spontaneous as they were, nevertheless, well orchestrated in focus and methodology.
The uprising as it were, reminiscent of the Arab Spring, was agitated mainly against draconian tax regulations that portend to further emasculate the already weather beaten citizenry. Kenya’s Transformation to a Neo-Colonialist Hub Kenya, a hitherto tourist haven for wildlife and natural habitation, has over the years been turned into a hub of neo-colonialism and imperialistic incursions from both the West and E.