Kenyan President William Ruto has started a historic public online forum with anti-tax protesters on the social media platform X Spaces, saying he is there to listen.
His 31-year-old daughter, Charlene Ruto, called it “the first president in the world to hold a virtual meeting with the entire Generation Z”.
This was a reference to the young people behind the recent protests that rocked her father’s presidency.
Protests against his finance bill were organized through X Spaces, a feature that allows users to hold live audio chats with others on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
A section of Kenyans on X have declared a boycott of the president’s chat and have planned to create a Parallel Space to counter the chat.
They claim that Mr Ruto was aware of their demands.
The chairman’s session started about 45 minutes late, apparently due to technical difficulties.
Outrage over proposed tax hikes has forced President Ruto to announce he will withdraw legislation that was intended to help reduce Kenya’s debt burden of more than $80bn (£63bn).
A state-sponsored human rights commission estimates more than 40 people have been killed in protests, most of them on the day the bill was passed by lawmakers last week. The interior ministry says 25 protesters have been killed.
The protests have since morphed into calls for Mr Ruto to resign and for security forces to be held accountable for the killing of protesters.
Ahead of the X Space session, President Ruto made a televised national address, promising a series of cuts including:
- Dissolution of 47 state-owned corporations with overlapping functions
- Suspend new car purchases for government officials for 6 months
- Suspend all unnecessary travel by government officials
- 50% off government advisors
- Eliminate funding for the first lady and the wives of the vice president and prime minister.
- Implement retirement regime for civil servants when they reach 60 years old.
President Ruto began his speech by expressing condolences but said this “difficult time” was an opportunity for the country:
“We are finally having the right conversation, not about our tribes, personalities or political institutions, but about the issues that affect each of us: issues like taxes, debt, budgets, corruption, the cost of living, unemployment and opportunities for our young people.”
His X Space, called #EngageThePresident, is expected to launch later this year. between 11:00 GMT and 14:00 GMT (14:00 to 17:00 local time).
His daughter Charlene tweeted to publicize the opportunity for a three-hour live chat with the president.
“Young people, the opportunity of your life is waiting for you,” she posted.
“I encourage you to use it wisely and engage constructively because you are the ones who will determine the continuity of such levels of discussion for success.”
Several members of Mr Ruto’s cabinet were also present at the discussions on X Space, which have yet to formally begin.
