While all governments battle to find funds for better healthcare, schools, roads and other services, African countries are disproportionately groaning under an ever-increasing debt burden.

For years now, African governments have, on average, spent more on debt repayments than on healthcare. Inflation, meanwhile, is further reducing their ability to invest. To break this cycle, governments are looking to tap into new revenue sources.

"Many countries are opting for the easiest route, reaping the rewards that hang lowest," says tax expert Alvin Mosioma. He is the deputy director of an economic and climate program at the Open Society Foundation in Nairobi.

"Governments levy consumption taxes because they know that people need to consume. You cannot escape such a tax," Mosioma tells DW.

In Kenya, citizens, already reeling from inflation, were enraged by the prospect of new taxes. After President William Ruto's June 2024 announcement to reduce the national debt by means of new taxes on food and consumer goods, popular protests exploded, forcing Ruto to withdraw the plans and replace large parts of his cabinet.

The resistance, which was mainly supported by Generation Z, also inspired people in Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana to stage their own demonstrations.

There, the focus was less on specific government plans and more on the........

© Deutsche Welle