At least 10 protesters have been shot dead by police in Kenya, and a section of the Parliament House has gone up in flames as demonstrations against new tax proposals escalate.
An angry crowd broke through police lines to storm Parliament in the capital, Nairobi, before setting parts of it ablaze. President William Ruto addressed the nation, stating that all means would be deployed to “thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country,” and has deployed the military to quell the protests.
Protests against an unpopular finance bill, which includes several tax hikes, have been ongoing for days. However, they escalated on Tuesday as MPs passed an amended bill. Protesters broke into Parliament, vandalizing the interior and setting parts of the complex on fire. The ceremonial mace, symbolizing the authority of the legislature, was stolen.
Police opened fire with live ammunition, killing at least 10 people, according to the Kenya Medical Association. Witnesses reported seeing bodies lying on the street in pools of blood. Hundreds were reportedly injured, including by rubber bullets and tear gas.
“There are some things that are hard to understand, like how can you impose a 16% tax on bread? How can you tax sanitary pads?” a 24-year-old protester said, referring to some of the proposals contained in the original bill.
Both City Hall and the Parliament building experienced fires on Tuesday. At a cathedral in Nairobi where a medical camp had been set up to tend to injured protesters, doctors were reportedly forced out of the building by soldiers. Another temporary unit was set up outside the emergency unit at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Former president Uhuru Kenyatta urged dialogue, saying Kenya’s leaders should “know that power and authority are donated to them by the people.” Although the government has rowed back on some proposals in the original bill, protesters demanded that it be withdrawn in its entirety.
The controversial finance bill has unleashed a widespread protest movement vowing for “7 Days of Rage.” Last week, the government scrapped some tax increases, including a proposed 16% value-added tax on bread along with taxes on motor vehicles, vegetable oil, and mobile money transfers. However, the concessions have not been enough to quell protests amid the rising cost of living.
President Ruto denounced the protests, calling them “treasonous,” and suggested that the popular campaign against tax increases had been “hijacked by dangerous people.” He stated that democratic expression and crime must be isolated from one another.
Kenya’s defense ministry said the military has been deployed to support the country’s police services as human rights and civil society groups criticize the heavy-handed response by the police on Tuesday.
A joint statement by Amnesty International Kenya, the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and Police Reforms Working Group Kenya reported that at least five people were shot dead and around 31 were injured during Tuesday’s protests. The statement also accused the police of shooting at a medical emergency center located at a church, and called for an end to the use of live bullets.
Security forces have also been accused of abducting prominent Kenyans, particularly those with large social media followings. Amnesty International Kenya says it is investigating the whereabouts of up to 12 people who were “abducted in the middle of the night” ahead of Tuesday’s planned protests.
