After the unprecedented events of Tuesday, June 25 where the country was thrown into chaos following the Anti-Finance Bill protests, events have started being cancelled awaiting the resumption of normalcy.
The first casualty of the demonstrations seems to be an investment conference by the Kenya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) that was scheduled to happen in Kisumu.
KNCCI through Nyanza International Investment Conference Chairman Japh Olende announced that the event was being cancelled following the aftermath of the protests thay swept through the country.
The Conference was slated for June 28 and 29 and President William Ruto was invited to open the conference as the chief guest.
“In view of the prevailing situation in the country, we, the Organizing Committee of the Nyanza International Investment Conference, have come to a decision to postpone the conference until a later date,” a statement from KNCCI read.
“We will inform you of the new conference dates after a keen review of the necessary parameters needed to ensure a successful conference.” the statement continued.
The conference was aimed at pooling together local and international investors and engage the country’s top leadership in a bid to explore investment opportunities in the lakeside region.
The country is still in recovery mode after the protests, with dust settling in many regions, Kisumu included, after mass protests led by young people flooding the streets to oppose the Finance Bill 2024.
The demonstrations prominently featured slogans demanding the President’s resignation, with many decrying the high cost of living, high taxation and widespread corruption.
President Ruto in his address to the nation on Tuesday night termed the protest as treasonous, and vowed to employ all resources at the government’s disposal to deal with the perpetrators of violence witnessed where Kenyans lost their lives and others remain critically injured.
