Barack Obama’s sister tear gassed outside the Parliament as protests intensify in Kenya

It has been reported that Auma Obama who is a prominent Kenyan activist and the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama faced tear gas shells as she along with the other citizens protested against the Kenyan Parliament’s decision to hike taxes amidst rising cost of living across Kenya. The police fired tear gas and other used other weapons when protesters tried to storm the parliament building. She was spotted wiping her eyes with a piece of cloth. This has been reported by CNN. She stated that the protesters were innocent and had come to the parliament only to raise their objections. She condemned the security forces for the excessive use of force. Auma’s daughter too joined the protests.

Auma Obama:

She runs her organization named Sauti Kuu, which aims to provide opportunities for the youth of Kenya who are disadvantaged. The organization seeks to provide an independent livelihood for those individuals who are at the mercy of others. The organization has been actively involved in various activities. It launched a vocational center in 2018 and the event was attended by Barack Obama. The former President has pledged support to this organization. Auma called on the Kenyan authorities to listen to the voice of the youth instead of violently crushing the protests.

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Why are the people protesting?

The protests began on June 18 against the Finance Bill which seeks to raise taxes which will help the government deal effectively with its fiscal policy. The new taxes would increase the cost of many products including menstrual products and diapers. A proposal to tax bread was dropped after intense public protests.

The government has argued that it will help in augmenting public revenue, reduce national debt and reduce the budget deficit. However, Auma pointed out that government needs to focus on creating employment opportunities. She added that over 80% of the population under the age of 35 are unemployed and this is a worrying situation for the country.

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FAQs:

How is Kenya dealing with these protests?
The president of Kenya William Ruto has declared a state of emergency in the county after protests turned violent. Travel advisories have been issued by various diplomatic missions in the city of Nairobi against non-essential travel across the country.

What is the economic position of Kenya?
It has been ranked as a lower middle-income country. This status has been retained since 2014.