Thousands mourn victims of Ruto government in Kenya as health workers go on strike
On Sunday, thousands of Kenyan youth gathered at Uhuru Park, the largest park in central Nairobi, dressed in black and waving the Kenyan flag to commemorate those killed during protests by William Ruto’s government against the finance bill.
Surrounded by a heavy police presence, protesters erected makeshift crosses bearing the names of those who have died in the past three weeks. According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), at least 43 people were slaughtered during the demonstrations across the country, most of them in Nairobi. Over 600 were injured, many from gunshot wounds.
A few kilometers away, the army and police were stationed near the parliament, the State House and the main roads.
Sunday’s actions followed smaller protests organised on Tuesday and Thursday last week. There is a sense that the mass movement against the Finance Bill 2024, which had evolved into a broader opposition to the entire post-independence political establishment, is receding. This does not mean that the hatred millions feel towards the Ruto regime is abating, but rather a growing frustration with the bankrupt political perspective espoused by the opposition Azimio la Umoja and the union bureaucracy.
Significantly, workers are now mobilising to fight for better wages and against precarious working conditions, despite unions’ attempts to suppress opposition to Ruto. In recent weeks, workers have taken part in protests on an individual basis, along with youth and sections of the professional middle class, without asserting their industrial power in key sectors of the economy.
Last Thursday, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), which has over 7,000 members including doctors, pharmacists and dentists, announced an indefinite strike starting Monday as well as a plan to occupy the premises of the Ministry of Health. On Sunday evening, Deputy Secretary General Dennis Miskellah condemned the KMPDU members during a Zoom meeting with them. He said: “If you want to occupy the Ministry of Health, then go and occupy the ministry and do whatever you want but the KMPDU will not participate in that… accept the mass deployment (of interns) or stay home.”
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On Monday, KMPDU general secretary Davji Bhimji Atellah suddenly called off the strike in an official X-account. “We are suspending the occupation of Afya House. This decision is the result of ongoing discussions” with the Health Ministry.
The statement was quickly deleted after it sparked massive resentment from KMPDU members and other workers on social media, with many users accusing Atellah of being bribed by the Ruto government.
Atellah ridiculously claimed that the union’s X-account had been hacked. “The reports circulating that #OccupyMoH has been suspended are false. The union account has been compromised and we are trying our best to take control of it and clean it.”
Interns are currently camping outside the Ministry of Health.
Many KMPDU members participated in the mass protests, especially medical personnel who provided free medical assistance to injured protesters. Many were attacked by police with live ammunition, batons and tear gas.
On Monday, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), whose members number 20,000, ended its nationwide strike after 99 days. The strike, which had paralysed public hospitals, was ended following an agreement with the Council of Governors (CoG). The full agreement was not disclosed, but the main demands that led to the strike were calls for higher salaries, risk allowances, comprehensive health insurance, guarantees of career advancement, confirmation of temporary clinical officers as permanent employees with pension rights and the recruitment of 20,000 additional clinical officers.
KUCO Secretary General George Gibore called on all members to immediately resume their duties. The deal is widely perceived as a betrayal.
Taking to social media, one worker said: “100 days of strike with no real results, bure kabisa (useless)… This union must be dissolved. Nothing was said about interns.” Another, using the name Kenya West, declared: “Matako nyinyi (you assholes), you are throwing interns under the bus!” Another asked: “What does the RTWF (Return to Work Formula) entail??? Once again a total disappointment.” A doctor from Kisumu said: “This is a mis-union.” Another said: “Nothing gained.”
The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) has announced a 14-day strike at Standard Group PLC, one of the largest media houses, over seven months of salary arrears and outstanding payments to savings and credit cooperatives. Media workers at Standard’s Radio Maisha have been on a spontaneous strike since last week, demanding payment of outstanding wages.
On June 28, media workers from Standard’s Radio Maisha, Spice FM, Berur FM and Vybez Radio went on strike and went off air.
The Central Confederation of Trade Unions (COTU-K) has refused to express even its solidarity with the KUJ. COTU, which includes 36 unions representing over 1.5 million workers, has failed to mobilise the support of other affiliated unions.
All sections of the working class – from the workers in Nairobi’s industrial area to the tea, coffee and horticulture workers to the dock workers in Mombasa (the largest port in East Africa), teachers and health workers – should have joined forces in joint action to fight Ruto’s austerity, police state measures and the use of the army. Instead, the COTU is working with Ruto to implement austerity measures.
Senegal’s Permanent Secretary Francis Atwoli infamously defended the Finance Bill before the June 25 massacre that left dozens dead forced him to appeal to Ruto to withdraw the bill. Now he is fuelling illusions about Ruto’s “dialogue” with the youth. On Monday, Atwoli urged Ruto to consider reviving a jobs initiative encouraged by President Jomo Kenyatta to “help contain ongoing demonstrations and promote social cohesion.”
Appeals to the Ruto regime are not a defence of workers’ jobs, wages and social conditions. Bitter struggles in recent years have highlighted the futility of such measures. Ruto will use any breathing space the unions give him to push through brutal austerity measures worth $2.7 billion to make up for the revenue shortfall caused by the rejected Finance Bill 2024. Last Friday, Ruto announced plans to break up and privatise over 40 state-owned enterprises, which would mean the loss of thousands of public sector jobs.
Further budget cuts are expected in education, public health, social assistance, housing and infrastructure. There will also be cuts in funding for the 47 counties responsible for decentralized functions such as primary health care, pre-school education, county roads, public works and other essential services.
The working class cannot effectively fight for better wages, jobs and working conditions, nor resist the austerity measures imposed by the Ruto government under the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), if it remains trapped in the unions, which act as industrial enforcers for the government and big business. Workers must take control of their own struggles by building grassroots committees in every workplace, plantation and major economic centre, independent of the unions and the capitalist parties, including the opposition Azimio la Umoja coalition led by millionaire Raila Odinga.
Most importantly, workers can turn to their brothers and sisters around the world. Across Africa, the ruling class fears that mass anti-austerity protests like those in Kenya could spill over into their own countries. Social media has called for protests and work stoppages in Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Like Kenya, all four countries are heavily indebted and are drastically raising taxes, while their governments are accused of corruption, nepotism and police-state repression.
In Malawi, a much-anticipated nationwide demonstration against the high cost of living planned for this week has been postponed because of the upcoming final exams. One of the organizers, Edwards Kambanje, expressed fears that the situation could spiral out of control, saying: “In the spirit of unity… we recognize that collective action and constructive engagement are crucial to building a harmonious and prosperous society.”
On the other side of the continent, former Ghanaian President (2012-2017) John Mahama urged MPs to tread carefully so they don’t face massive opposition like in Kenya. He warned: “The Kenyan public is beating up MPs for passing bad laws. Mr. Speaker, this is a serious matter. I have seen MPs beaten to a pulp… We should be worried. This is not a funny matter. This is not a joke. It is serious. I saw one run away and the police took him through a tunnel so he could escape.”
In Nigeria, a poster with the hashtag #ENDBGIN is circulating on social media, calling for nationwide protests against the rising cost of living in early August. Organizers are calling on people to support the demonstration, regardless of tribe, region or religion. As in Kenya, religion has long been used to divide workers and rural populations.
Daily trustowned by Media Trust, one of Nigeria’s leading media companies, featured a commentary by Eugene Enahoro titled “Nigeria is not Kenya!” He accused the organizers of “irresponsible” behavior and called on Nigerians to “wake up and make the sacrifices that Kenyans have made because that is the only way we can become a better country.”
Enahoro warned of a military coup if protests were to occur. “Given our country’s history of misguided military interventions and current developments in West Africa, anyone calling for violent street protests in Nigeria is endangering our democracy.”
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