NAIROBI, Kenya- The organizers of the Financial Bill 2024 protests now say they will target church services; a tactic they say is aimed at challenging politicians in spaces where they feel most comfortable.
They want politicians who voted yes for the Bill on Thursday to be denied a chance to address church gatherings.
“Don’t allow any politician who voted yes to speak in your church,” reads the programme that has widely been shared on social media platforms .
In Kenya, top politicians often attend church services and use them as platforms for political grandstanding.
This tactic is part of a larger program dubbed “7 Days of Rage,” which outlines a series of actions designed to express their opposition to the Financial Bill 2024 and demand justice for the killing of two protestors and the injuring of many others by police.
The first day of the protest on June 18 saw thousands of young Kenyans, many of them first-time protestors, taking to the streets in a peaceful demonstration that was marred by police excesses.
The death of Rex Kanyike Masai, a 29-year-old protestor shot by a plainclothes officer, has become a rallying cry for the movement.
Masai was among thousands of protestors opposed to the bill. He was shot while going home on Thursday, in Nairobi.
At least 19 Counties participated in the protests.
The 7 Days of Rage will include a range of activities, from chanting anti-President William Ruto slogans in nightclubs to staging protests outside the offices of MPs at the constituency level.
“This decentralized approach aims to put pressure on elected officials in their own backyards, highlighting the disconnect between the politicians and their constituents,” an organiser told Y News.
She did not want her name to be mentioned for fear of being targeted by authorities.
The organizers of the protests say their grievances extend beyond the Financial Bill 2024.
They are also calling for accountability for the recent police violence.
Videos and images of police using live bullets, water cannons, and tear gas against unarmed, peaceful protestors have flooded social media, sparking outrage and condemnation from human rights organizations and the public alike.
The Media Council of Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya have both issued statements condemning the police actions, and there is a growing demand for an independent investigation into the killings and injuries.
The youth-led movement is leveraging the power of social media to organize and amplify their message.
Platforms like TikTok, X, and Instagram have been instrumental in mobilizing protestors and keeping the momentum going.
Viral hashtags and videos documenting the protests and police brutality have galvanized support from across the country and beyond.
