Kenya's President William Ruto addresses delegates after signing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Amendment Bill 2024, backed by the National Dialogue Committee , at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya July 9, 2024.Kenya’s Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed a decision by an appeals court nullifying the 2023 finance law, a victory for the government after protests forced President William Ruto to withdraw this year’s finance bill.
“We hereby set aside the Court of Appeal’s finding declaring the entire Finance Act 2023 unconstitutional,” the Supreme Court said in its ruling. Ruto’s government, which took office in September 2022, sought to impose a new round of tax hikes this year, angering many citizens and culminating in deadly protests in June and July in which more than 60 people were killed.
Ruto has argued that the tax increases are necessary to help fund development programmes in Kenya, East Africa’s largest economy, and pay off a heavy public debt load.