Russian Embassy Rejects Accusations of Putin’s Involvement in Finance Bill Protests in Kenya

The Russian Embassy in Kenya has firmly denied any association with a viral TikTok video that featured a fabricated voice of President Vladimir Putin.

The video has gained significant traction on social media, depicting the Russian leader expressing support for Kenyan protesters who have been demonstrating for over two weeks. In a statement, the Embassy clarified that the voice-over was entirely artificial and had been superimposed on footage from an unrelated previous address by Putin. The Embassy advises people to be wary of such misinformation, stating “We have noticed that a fake video of the President of Russia has been circulating in Kenyan social media,” and advised people to be wary of such misinformation.

Since the protests began on June 18, neither the Russian government nor President Putin has made any official comments on the situation in Kenya. However, the Russian Embassy has been issuing periodic advisories to its citizens, urging them to avoid certain areas in Nairobi due to the often volatile nature of the demonstrations. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Kenya has issued a warning about the increased likelihood of large-scale demonstrations in Nairobi and other major cities across the country.

They advised against visiting central Nairobi on July 2, 2024, due to anticipated unrest. The protests, primarily led by Kenyan youth belonging to Generation Z, have been organized to voice opposition to the Finance Bill 2024. Demonstrators argue that the bill imposes unfair taxes on Kenyan citizens and have expressed concerns about the rising cost of living. They have called for the government to completely reject the bill. Despite the widespread protests, lawmakers passed the bill last week. In response to the public outcry, President William Ruto, however, decided to withdraw the legislation.