Kenya’s President William Ruto has apologised for police brutality in an online forum with anti-tax protesters on the social media platform X.
He was responding to Kevin Monari, one of the protest leaders who told him how he had been abducted by the security forces.
The recent protests forced Mr Ruto to withdraw his controversial finance bill and have rocked his presidency.
They were organised via X Spaces, a feature that allows users to host live audio conversations with others on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Mr Ruto’s X Space session, dubbed #EngageThePresident, started more than an hour late, beset by technical difficulties – and was scheduled to last for three hours.
A section of Kenyans on X vowed to boycott the president’s chat and planned a parallel Space to counter the conversation – as they did not want him to control who could speak.
However, discussions within the president’s X Space, where 125,000 are listening, have been frank – some calling him a liar and accusing him of lacking empathy – to which he has responded robustly.
A state-funded human rights commission estimates more than 40 people died during the protests, most on the day the bill was passed by MPs last week.
But during the X Space conversation, Mr Ruto has accused some “reckless” people of inflating the number of people who were killed during the recent protests, putting the number at 25.
The outrage over the proposed tax increases forced him to say he would withdraw the legislation, which was intended to help reduce Kenya’s debt burden of over $80bn (£63bn).
The demonstrations have since morphed into calls for Mr Ruto’s resignation and demands that the security forces face justice over the killing of protesters.
Earlier Mr Ruto’s daughter Charlene tweeted to publicise the three-hour opportunity to chat directly with the president: “Young people, the chance of a lifetime awaits you,” she posted.
Some members of Mr Ruto’s cabinet are also present for the X Space conversation – though none of them have spoken.
On the matter of police brutality, the president said he did not personally instruct the police.
“I don’t hold absolute power – we’re a democracy – I’m not a dictator,” he explained.
The discussion is being hosted by the president’s spokesperson and Mr Monari, an online content creator and leading voice of the protesters who spoke about his abduction.
“I promise to follow up on the [abduction] issue and take action,” the president promised.
Several others involved in the protests say they were abducted by state agents, held for several hours, intimidated and then released without ever going to court.
Before his X Space session began, President Ruto delivered a national address on TV, promising a raft of spending cuts, saying they were needed because the planned tax rises had been scrapped. These include:
The dissolution of 47 state corporations with overlapping functions
Suspending the purchase of new vehicles for state officials for six months
Suspending all non-essential travel for state officials
Reducing government advisers by 50%
Scrapping the budget for first lady and spouses of deputy president and the prime cabinet secretary
Enforcing the retirement of public servants at the age of 60.
He expressed his condolences but said this “difficult time” was an opportunity for the country:
“We are finally having the right conversation, not about our tribes, or personalities, or political formations, but rather issues that affect each and every one of us: issues such as taxation, debt, the budget, corruption, the cost of living, unemployment, and opportunities for our young people.”
He has reiterated such sentiments during his X Space session.
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