Kenyan Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has accused Western powers of being behind the anti-government protests occurring across Kenya.
During a press briefing, Mwaura suggested that influential international entities were financing the Gen-Z-led protests against the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
He implied that this external influence was possibly a reaction to President William Ruto’s diplomatic stances, particularly his purported support for Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Mwaura’s comments were somewhat ambiguous, as President Ruto has consistently expressed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and efforts to end the war.
For instance, during a meeting in New York on September 19, 2023, President Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s support for Ukraine during discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Mwaura further suggested that some global powers were displeased with Ruto’s initiatives to diminish Kenya’s reliance on the US dollar for international trade.
“Gen Z please listen to me, there are genuine people who are asking genuine questions but there is a group somewhere if I look keenly from afar there could be a foreign hand into this issue,” Mwaura remarked concerning the protests against the Finance Bill.
He noted that Ruto’s vocal stance on climate change and his efforts to unite Africa on this issue might also have drawn international ire.
Referencing the recent El Niño phenomenon and heavy rains in Kenya, Mwaura emphasized that President Ruto would persist in elevating the climate change dialogue on the global stage.
He suggested that certain international players were unsettled by Ruto’s remarks about the impact of the Russian conflict on Kenya, specifically the disruption of wheat imports from Russia.
“The other day he spoke about Russia’s invasion. He stated that it is affecting us even though we cannot receive wheat flour from Russia because we do not produce enough here in Kenya. There are people with problems with that,” Mwaura alleged.
He added that the West was also dissatisfied with Ruto’s advocacy for reducing dependency on the US dollar.
“Also look at the de-dollarisation. If the dollar is strong, it affects our economy negatively. He (Ruto) said we find new finance infrastructure internationally,” Mwaura stated.
Mwaura highlighted the financial disparities faced by African nations, noting that loans from international financial institutions come with significantly higher repayment burdens for developing countries compared to developed nations.
“That makes it extremely difficult to pay those loans. That is why we are in a debt trap. We take 48 per cent of what we collect and pay those people. They would not want us to get out of that slavery,” he asserted.
