By OTIENO OTIENO More by this AuthorA pretty strange protest march happened in the streets of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, on Thursday. The protesters identified themselves in placards as slum dwellers and informal building contractors, voiced support for a highly unpopular housing tax imposed by the government that was in November declared unconstitutional by a court. Read: Kenya High Court quashes housing levyA defiant President Ruto has publicly vowed he will do whatever it takes to have the housing programme implemented. But Thursday’s apparently stage-managed demonstration in support of the housing tax betrayed deeper concerns within the ranks of the Ruto administration about the public trust deficit that it has battled throughout its first full year. That sinking public feeling about President Ruto’s first full year in office is a stark contrast to his often-bullish personal assessment of his administration performance on the economy.

Source: Daily Nation December 30, 2023 18:33 UTC