Normal operations were paralyzed batter part of the afternoon in Busia town as the members of the public engaged the police in a running battle.
Police were forced to use tear gas to disperse the demonstrators who started throwing stones at them.
According to Matayos Member of Parliament, Mr. Geoffrey Odanga, who let the demos in Busia, President Ruto’s administration should concentrate on making life better and stop complaining about how the retired president Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration left the country broke.
“This government needs to settle and work for Kenyans. It has been in power for almost a year. They have done nothing other than lamenting how Uhuru’s administration left behind debts. Our own senator, Mr. Okiya Omtata, did his research and found out that there is no debt Mr Uhuru left behind. They paid the money before Mr. Kenyatta left the power and the excuses we are being told are baseless,” he said.
Odanga wanted President William Ruto to recall the finance law 2023 he signed last week, adding that the law is oppressive.
“We don’t want this finance act 2023. President William Ruto signed into law that. This law is oppressive. It has made life difficult for the common citizen to afford. This is just the beginning. We are going to demonstrate daily until the day this government listens to us,” said Odanga.
He said, “Prices of basic commodities are high and as we speak, the common ‘mwananchi’ can’t afford to buy basic commodities such as Unga, fuel. Transportation is high, and that is why we are saying this government must live to fulfill what it promised during the campaign.”
Mr Odanga was accompanied by Burumba ward Member of the County Assembly of Busia Mr. Tony Onyango among other ODM members who noted that many families in Kenya are going to bed hungry because of high prices of food and other basic commodities.
“We are suffering as Kenyans. We cannot take our children to school and feed them just because life is unbearable for many families across the country. And that is why we are saying we are not relenting in this fight until the government in place hears our cries,” said Mr Onyango.