Protest Deaths in Kenya Echo Decades of Angst Over IMF
- Harsh fiscal prescriptions often had tough costs on citizens
- Washington-based lender has sought to soften impact of reforms
Public anger driving the deadly protests in Kenya this week over President William Ruto’s new taxes is also aimed at the International Monetary Fund, echoing decades of criticism directed at the global lender.
The Washington-based IMF is often blamed when poor governments struggle to get their financial houses in order and is in the crosshairs in Nairobi, where Ruto abruptly scrapped his $2.3 billion tax plan Wednesday after nearly two dozen people were killed.