President William Ruto won a triumph when Kenya’s parliament voted late on Wednesday to pass a contentious government finance measure that will treble the gasoline tax and institute a new housing levy.
Ruto, who took office nine months ago, is pushing through a raft of tax hikes as part of his maiden budget, sparking sharp resistance from the opposition, ordinary people and businesses.
The opposition has threatened to call fresh protests if Ruto signs the tax increases into law. Street demonstrations earlier this year against the high cost of living repeatedly turned violent in the capital Nairobi and elsewhere.