Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya has been plunged into chaos amid riots over tax hikes, with a blaze erupting at the country’s parliament and cops opening fire with live ammunition on crowds of angry protesters.
Thousands of anti-tax demonstrators broke through barriers erected by the police outside the parliament building in Nairobi, forcing legislators to urgently evacuate.
No fewer than 10 people were reportedly killed, and dozens more injured on Tuesday when police opened fire on hundreds of protesters who stormed the parliament compound in Nairobi in protest of the recent legislation passed by lawmakers to increase taxes.
Video shows smoke rising from parts of the government building as crowds swarmed through its gates, with projectiles also seen being thrown.
Demonstrators streamed into the complex where lawmakers were debating contentious tax hike proposals that have sparked widespread anger.
In a chaotic situation, protesters were seen inside the parliament building, standing on top of the speaker’s chair, with pockets of fire burning outside, including a police vehicle. Angry youths also set fire to parts of parliament and the Nairobi governor’s office in the capital complex.
Lawmakers were forced to seek refuge in underground tunnels as the demonstrators breached the security perimeter.
However, neither the police nor the government issued any statement regarding the casualties suffered during the nationwide protest, which began last Tuesday and was led by the youth organization Generation Z.
There is a major disruption in internet services across the country due to violent protests against tax hikes and that many people are unable to access the X social media platform, an Anadolu reporter confirmed.
Protesters have looted shops and businesses in several parts of the country, according to local media.
In various cities, including Nairobi, Eldoret, and Kisumu, storeowners reported significant losses as looters smashed windows, stole merchandise, and vandalized property amid the chaos.
Meanwhile, a statement from Amnesty International’s Kenya chapter confirmed the deaths of five people.
According to a statement, 31 people have been injured, with 13 shot with live bullets and four hit by rubber bullets.
Opposition demands end to killings in Kenya
Meanwhile, Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has urged the government to stop killing Kenyan “children” and withdraw the Finance Bill 2024.
Kenya cannot afford to kill its children simply because they ask for food, jobs, and a listening ear, Odinga said at a press conference.
“I am disturbed at the murders, arrests, detentions and surveillance being perpetrated by police on boys and girls who are only seeking to be heard over taxation policies that are stealing both their present and future,” he added.
Emergency Response
Medics set up emergency response temporary shelters in different cities with supplies donated by Kenyans. Two people died in far smaller-scale protests last week.
The latest round of protests today took place as lawmakers vote on the finance bill that would introduce new taxes, including an eco-levy that would raise the price of goods like sanitary towels and diapers.
A proposal to tax bread was removed after public outcry but demonstrators are still calling on Parliament not to pass the bill.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission on Tuesday shared a video of officers shooting at protesters and said they would be held to account.
The commission wrote on X addressing President William Ruto: ‘The world is watching your descent into tyranny!
‘Your regime’s actions is an assault on democracy. All those involved in the shooting – actively or passively – must be held to account.’
The Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo on Tuesday said 50 Kenyans, including her personal assistant, had been ‘abducted’ by people believed to be police officers. She said there were instances of extrajudicial killings, police abductions, torture and people kept incommunicado for several days.
Some of those missing included those who were vocal in the ongoing demonstrations and were taken away from their homes, workplaces and public spaces in the run-up to the Tuesday protests, according to civil society groups.
Parliament Speaker’s Directives to IGP
Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula on Tuesday directed the inspector general of police to provide information on the whereabouts of those the opposition said were abducted by police.
Ruto on Sunday said he was proud of the young people who had come out to exercise their democratic duty and said he would engage the youth on their concerns. Ruto was outside the capital attending an African Union retreat.
Unrest has persisted in the country over the controversial tax bill despite some of the proposed increases being scrapped.
Among the scrapped tax hikes was a proposed 16 per cent VAT on bread, as well as proposed taxes on motor vehicles, vegetable oil and mobile money transfers, the chairman of Kenya’s Finance and National Planning Committee.
