Fresh out of Barnard College with a degree in political science, Riley is learning the ropes as a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
The Kenyan government is reintroducing the controversial tax plan that fueled young Kenyans’ protests earlier this summer. President William Ruto scrapped the $1.2 billion plan at the end of June after demonstrations turned deadly, but the government faced a funding shortfall as a result, downgrading its credit rating over concerns about Kenya’s ability to service its $78 billion public debt.
When he ditched the bill, Ruto vowed to address the concerns of young Kenyans, who have struggled to find jobs in an economy failing to keep up with population growth. They argued that rather than increase taxes, the government should crack down on corruption.
Disillusioned youth are increasingly inciting civil unrest across Africa, where by 2030, 42% of the world’s young people will reside. Youth-led protests were also seen in Uganda and Nigeria this summer, and last week, more than 400 young people gathered at the UN offices in Nairobi for the Africa Youth Forum 2024 where they expressed their discontent with leaders they feel are denying them political and economic opportunities.
We will be watching to see whether reintroducing the tax plan reignites protests in Kenya, and whether young people across Africa can turn their discontent into political change.
