Kenya’s President William Ruto faced intense scrutiny from enraged anti-tax demonstrators during an online discussion on the social media platform X.
In a first-time move, he issued apologies for the police brutality witnessed in recent protests and the reported abductions of protest organizers.
Just last week, the president was compelled to retract his contentious finance bill due to the upheaval that has unsettled his administration.
The protests were coordinated through X Spaces, a feature enabling live audio conversations, on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Mr. Ruto’s X Space session, branded #EngageThePresident, kicked off more than an hour behind schedule. Technical glitches disrupted what was intended to be a three-hour dialogue.
The exchanges were candid, drawing over 150,000 listeners, with some participants labeling the president as dishonest and criticizing his perceived lack of empathy. Mr. Ruto responded assertively.
He committed to dismissing all officials implicated in corruption, stating, “I acknowledge that some of our officials flaunt ostentatious wealth, and I have personally counseled them on appropriate conduct. I intend to take further action.”