A group of Kenyans protested outside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, D.C., criticizing what they see as harmful economic interference due to IMF-induced austerity measures in Kenya. On Saturday, the demonstrators from Washington, Maryland, and Virginia voiced their discontent, accusing the IMF of ignoring the negative consequences of its loans, which they claim have led to loss of life.
They displayed the names of individuals who died in the protests, attributing the deaths to alleged excessive police force, and demanded that the IMF take responsibility by compensating the affected families.
On July 12, the IMF apologized to Kenyans who suffered during the protests, which resulted in the government withdrawing the controversial Finance Bill 2024. IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack expressed her “deepest sympathy” to those who lost loved ones or were injured.
She defended the IMF’s stance amid criticism from Kenyans who accused the Fund of imposing stringent conditions for Kenya to secure funding. Kozack emphasized that the IMF’s goal is to support Kenya in achieving sustainable growth, creating jobs for the youth, and advancing programs to help the disadvantaged. Kenya has received Ksh.503 billion from the IMF to address its economic challenges.
