Anti-Finance Bill 2024 Protests: What Is Treason?
Following Tuesday’s extensive nationwide protests against the unpopular Finance Bill 2024, which saw crowds break through police lines and breach Parliament buildings in Nairobi, President William Ruto condemned the day’s events as treasonous late in the evening.
In the capital, angry demonstrators broke through Parliament barricades around 3 p.m., despite a heavy police presence, after legislators passed the bill, which now awaits presidential assent to become law.
During the unrest, the ceremonial mace, symbolizing the authority of the legislature, was stolen, parts of the Parliament building were vandalized, and a section was set on fire.
Police fired live ammunition at the crowd, resulting in at least five deaths and over 30 injuries, according to Amnesty International.
Shortly after, the nearby City Hall, which houses the Nairobi Governor’s office, was also set ablaze.
In a televised address from State House Nairobi late in the evening, President Ruto claimed that “organized criminals” had hijacked a “critical conversation” on the proposed law, which seeks to increase taxes, and caused chaos.
Terming the events a threat to national security, the president vowed to crack down on the “planners, financiers, orchestrators, and abetters of violence and anarchy” and deployed the military to support the police in enforcing security.
Over 125 people were injured during the day’s events, according to the human rights organization HAKI Africa.
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The above gallery shows images of Anti-riot police unit trying to prevent and stop the Anti-Finance Bill 2024 Protestets
What is Treason?
Treason is a major offense against the State. It is defined as conduct that breaches the allegiance owed to the State.
The crime falls under offenses against public order as defined in Section 40 of the Penal Code.
According to the law, the State has a duty to protect its citizens and residents. Similarly, the citizens and residents owe allegiance to the State, and when this allegiance is broken, it is termed as treason against the State.
The Penal Code specifies that treason can occur when a person who owes allegiance to the republic, in Kenya or elsewhere, plans, imagines, invents, devises, or intends the death, maiming, wounding, imprisonment, or restraint of the president.
It is also considered treasonous to unlawfully depose the president from his position or from the style, honor, Head of State, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kenya.
This includes unlawfully overthrowing the Kenyan government.
The law states that anyone who expresses, utters, or declares any such plans, imaginations, inventions, devices, or intentions by publishing, writing, or any overt act or deed, is guilty of treason.
“Any person who, owing allegiance to the Republic, levies war in Kenya against the Republic; or is adherent to the enemies of the Republic, or gives them aid or comfort, in Kenya or elsewhere; or instigates, whether in Kenya or elsewhere, any person to invade Kenya with an armed force, is guilty of treason,” the Constitution states.
Summary
In summary, the anti-Finance Bill protests in Nairobi escalated into a violent confrontation between demonstrators and law enforcement, resulting in casualties and significant property damage. President Ruto’s characterization of the events as treasonous reflects the severity of the situation and underscores the legal and moral implications of breaching allegiance to the State under Kenyan law.
Conclusion
The events surrounding the Finance Bill protests underscore a critical juncture in Kenya’s socio-political landscape, highlighting deep-seated grievances over economic policies and governance. As the nation navigates these challenges, the enforcement of treason laws becomes pivotal in maintaining order and upholding national security. The response from authorities, including the deployment of military support, signals a firm stance against threats to public stability and constitutional order.
Anyone found guilty of treason shall be sentenced to death, according to the law.
In Other News: Raila Calls On Government To Suspend The Finance Bill; Condemns Killing Of Protesters
Anti-Finance Bill 2024 Protests: What Is Treason?