The Cabinet convened on Thursday at State House Nairobi, chaired by President William Ruto, to address the country’s security situation in the aftermath of recent riots.
President William Ruto, presiding over a meeting at State House Nairobi, was informed that the riots, which initially began as protests against proposed tax measures in the Finance Bill 2024, were swiftly hijacked by criminal elements and opportunistic political factions.
“Over the past two weeks, these groups have wreaked havoc across cities, towns, and urban areas, resulting in fatalities and widespread destruction of government buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, residences, and businesses,” State House noted.
Concerns over the potential threat to critical national institutions such as Parliament and the Supreme Court prompted the deployment of all national security agencies, including the military, to maintain law and order.
During the meeting, the Cabinet received assurances from security agencies that the situation had been stabilized, with ongoing vigilance to monitor developments.
Acknowledging the challenges faced, Cabinet members commended security forces for their professional conduct amidst challenging circumstances and emphasized the importance of protecting the nation from anarchist activities.
President Ruto emphasized the need to refocus efforts on steering the country towards a new direction, emphasizing that substantial adjustments would be necessary to align with the evolving situation.
Regarding allegations of misconduct by security personnel, the Cabinet underscored adherence to due legal processes for any individuals found to have overstepped their authority.
The Cabinet also called for swift justice against perpetrators of serious crimes during the unrest, including acts of arson, looting, and robbery, stressing the importance of holding accountable those responsible for such offenses.
In response to the withdrawn Finance Bill, President Ruto highlighted ongoing efforts by the National Treasury to restructure the budget, prioritizing essential national programs while making necessary cuts to adapt to current economic realities.
This will include substantial cutting down of budgets to “balance between what to be implemented and what can wait”, and ensuring that key national programmes are not affected.
“Our plan is good and solid and, in the fullness of time, we shall be vindicated,” President Ruto said.
Addressing other agenda items, the Cabinet discussed the implementation of the Kenya Urban Improvement Project within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.
This includes the phased upgrade of the 163km Nairobi Commuter Rail, beginning with enhancing the 58km stretch between Nairobi Central Railway Station and Thika.
The project will also include acquisition of new locomotives and improvement of non-motorised transport infrastructure, and feeder roads along the Nairobi Commuter Rail network.
Furthermore, the Cabinet approved several legislative and policy measures, including:
- The Kenya Secondary Education Equity and Quality Improvement Programme
- The Kenya-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
- Co-Hosting of the Second Edition of the African Continental Free Trade Area Youth Symposium in September 2024
- The Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill 2024
- The Ratification of Bilateral Air Services Agreements between Kenya and various countries, including Somalia, Morocco, Algeria, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Guinea, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.
