Old video from Ethiopia falsely linked to protests against 2024 Finance Bill in Kenya

What's the claim?

Footage of hundreds of people marching on the street has been shared on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, claiming to show Kenyans protesting against a new financial Bill introduced in 2024.

The Kenyan Finance Bill 2024 was introduced in the national assembly on May 9, 2024. The Bill would introduce tax hikes on basic commodities, aiming to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes to reduce the budget deficit and borrowing. The Kenyan Parliament passed it on June 25, 2024. Reuters reports that this triggered a nationwide protest, demanding President Wiliam Ruto's resignation. The Bill was eventually withdrawn.

Following this, an X (formerly Twitter) user shared the video of a large group of people marching in the street with the caption: "Nah, this is actually insane.. The bravery of the people of Kenya is an inspiration to the rest of Africa. You can say no to the Government." Another X user wrote: "One million marching to state house #REJECTFİNANCEBİLL2024." Archives of such posts can be found here and here. 

The same video was also shared on Facebook and Instagram (archived here and here)

Screenshot of some of the social media posts. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the video is old and from Ethiopia, not Kenya. It is unrelated to the anti-tax Bill protest.

What we found

Through a reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared on a YouTube channel (archived here) named "Alemu A" on September 17, 2018. It was captioned "Addis Ababa at the moment." The viral video starts at 0:32 seconds. 

A Google search about protests in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, in 2018 led us to a report by the Washington Post that thousands of people protested in the streets of the capital over reported Oromo ethnic clashes on September 17, 2018. During the demonstration, many stores were closed, and traffic was disrupted. According to police reports, there were at least 23 killed in the violence, and around 200 people were arrested. DW also reports the same.

We also found a report by Voice Of America Amharic dated September 17, 2018, which stated that demonstrations were held in Addis Ababa over the deaths. The video included different visuals of the protests. 

The Oromo ethnic attacks refer to clashes between the Oromos, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, and other ethnic groups, including the Gamos, Wolayitas, Guraghes, and Sites. It was alleged that the Oromo group attacked homes and businesses and left non-Oromo communities forcibly displaced and killed, as reported by Amnesty International. Following this, people protested and condemned the ethnic clashes in Addis Ababa, DW reports. 

We were able to geolocate the place seen in the now-viral video to Addis Ababa on Google Maps. The viral video was taken at Churchill Avenue Road, near Emperor Tewodros II Square in Addis Ababa. The buildings and other structures in the video match those on Google Maps.

A comparison of the viral video with Google Maps, with matching structures highlighted in green and red. (Source: Google Maps/X)

The verdict

A video of a protest held in the Ethiopian capital in September 2018 has been misrepresented as being from Kenya. It is unrelated to the protests against the finance Bill in Kenya.