Several people were killed on Tuesday when police fired live rounds at protesters attempting to storm Kenya’s legislature following a contentious vote to pass a finance bill that will hike taxes.
News About Nigeria reports that thousands of demonstrators, led by youth activists, gathered in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, demanding lawmakers reject the bill amidst a deepening cost-of-living crisis.
However, legislators voted to pass the bill, which sparked violent clashes.
Protesters breached the Parliament of Kenya complex, setting parts of the building ablaze.
The police, using tear gas and live ammunition, eventually drove them out.
At least five people were killed and 31 others wounded, according to a statement by the Kenya Medical Association and several NGOs. Among the wounded, 13 were shot with live bullets and four with rubber bullets.
“Despite the government’s assurances that the right to assembly would be protected, today’s protests have spiralled into violence,” the groups stated.
Kenyan President William Ruto condemned the protests, labelling them “treasonous”, and claiming that the tax debate had been “hijacked by dangerous people”.
Ruto said that the security of Kenyans remained his “utmost priority.”
Police opened fire after tear gas and water cannons failed to disperse the crowds.
The Kenyan army has been deployed to support the police in managing the “security emergency” and preventing further destruction of critical infrastructure, Defence Minister Aden Duale announced in the official gazette.
Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb reported from outside the Parliament building in central Nairobi, describing the grim scene.
“I saw the body of a young man carrying a Kenyan flag with a bullet hole in the centre of his forehead,” Webb said.
He also noted the presence of uniformed police and plainclothes security operators, some of whom were seen shooting into the crowds.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission condemned the violence and shared a video of officers shooting at protesters. Addressing President Ruto, the commission wrote on X (formerly Twitter),
“The world is watching your descent into tyranny! Your regime’s actions are an assault on democracy. All those involved in the shooting—actively or passively—must be held to account.”
This marked the third round of protests against the bill.
Last week, two people were killed during demonstrations, one by a gunshot and another by a tear gas canister.
