Grace Ashiru
One week following the online leak of Kenyan government officials’ phone numbers by unknown persons, the hacker group Anonymous has issued a threat to expose “corrupt deals involving members of parliament (MPs)” if they vote to pass the 2024 Finance Bill on Thursday.
Founded in 2003, Anonymous aims to create “mass awareness and revolution against what the organization perceives as corrupt entities while attempting to maintain anonymity.” The group has been associated with Distributed Denial Of Service (DDoS) attacks on websites belonging to the Tunisian and Zimbabwean governments.
“There is a chance that all these secrets will be exposed, revealing how corrupt and unjust members of parliament are, embezzling funds for personal gain,” warned Anonymous on X, targeting MPs.
The 2024 Finance Bill, criticized for proposing tax hikes on commodities such as bread and sanitary towels, has become deeply unpopular. Many Kenyans, already grappling with a spike in living costs, believe the new taxes will exacerbate their already challenging situation.
While many of these complaints started online, they quickly spilled into the streets as hundreds of Kenyans attempted to gain access to the Parliament in Nairobi. This brought to mind the 2023 protests over living costs. MPs who support the bill argue that the taxes which sparked public outrage, including the motor vehicle and eco-tax, have been removed.
Opposing lawmakers and the Anonymous Group are pushing for the complete rejection of the Bill. “We do not want you to amend the Finance Bill; we want you to reject it,” the group posted on X.
On Tuesday, hundreds of young Kenyans led nationwide protests. Citizens in other major cities like Kisumu, Mombasa, and Eldoret—one of President William Ruto’s strongholds—have also joined the movement. Police have surrounded Nairobi’s parliament buildings, where the second round of #OccupyParliament protests are focused.
The debate on the bill resumed Thursday morning. Amendments are expected by the afternoon and must be voted on before Thursday evening. MPs will discuss and vote on amendments for the third reading on June 25.
