Cabinet observes moment of silence in honour victims of anti-tax demos

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi at the School of Government, Nairobi. [Ministry of Defence]

The Cabinet observed a moment of silence on Thursday, July 11, to honour Kenyans who died during the recent anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.

During the extraordinary Joint Cabinet and National Development Implementation Committee (NDIC) meeting at the Kenya School of Government, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi requested those present to stand and honour the deceased.

"Let me begin by requesting that we all stand and observe a minute of silence in honour of our youth who lost their lives exercising their democratic right to peaceful demonstrations over the past two weeks," said Mudavadi.

The Prime CS praised the youth, particularly Generation Z, for voicing their dissatisfaction by rejecting the Finance Bill 2024 and demanding better governance and service delivery.

"They have sent a strong message to the Government that they feel disconnected. We gave them the ammunition to fight back by displaying our opulence, corruption, and wasteful use of public resources," he added.

Mudavadi, who also serves as the CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, noted that some government officials have been insensitive to the common mwananchi grappling with economic hardships.

"They want to see a more inclusive Government that is sensitive to the issues affecting them and the majority of Kenyans, including the high cost of living and lack of employment opportunities," he stated.

He also mentioned that the government would face challenges in realising its commitments under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) due to a Sh346 billion deficit in the 2024/25 budget following the withdrawal of the Finance Bill.

He further challenged government officials to meet the expectations of Kenyans.

"We need to assess whether we have supported the President in improving the governance of our country and delivering on his promises of social and economic transformation, or if our decisions and lifestyles are seen as impediments to equitable growth and prosperity for all Kenyans," Mudavadi said.

Present at the NDIC meeting were Cabinet Secretaries, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, and all Principal Secretaries.