Kenyan President William Ruto has pledged to make significant spending cuts totaling 177 billion shillings in response to nationwide protests that erupted after planned tax hikes were scrapped. The government will also increase borrowing by about 169 billion shillings to cover the financial hole created by withdrawing the finance bill that sparked the protests. Ruto’s announcement comes after weeks of demonstrations that have raised fears of rights backsliding and posed a significant challenge to his two-year-old presidency. The budget deficit is now projected to be 4.6% of GDP in the 2024/25 financial year, up from an earlier estimate of 3.3%. The spending cuts will include dissolving state corporations, reducing the number of government advisors, suspending non-essential travel by public officials, and removing budget lines for certain government offices. Ruto also plans to conduct a forensic audit of the country’s debt and make further government changes. The protests have resulted in hundreds of arrests and at least 39 deaths. This article is based on information from an automated news agency feed.
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