Thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday, with some storming parliament and briefly setting fire to an entrance as it approved tax increases that critics said would drive up the cost of living for millions of people.
During the protests, police fired tear gas and gunfire, plunging the capital into chaos. At least five people were shot dead and 31 injured. according to Amnesty International The number of casualties could not be immediately confirmed. The independent Kenya Human Rights Commission released a video Showing police shooting Protesters approached them.
Tear gas wafted through the streets and some protesters climbed through parliament windows as parliament voted 195 to 106 on Tuesday to pass the tax bill, which supporters said would raise revenue for education and other basic services.
Kenyan President William Ruto said he was deploying the military to combat what he called “treasonous incidents.” In a televised address late Tuesday, Ruto said the debate on the tax bill “has been hijacked by dangerous people who have caused us the damage we have today.”
He vowed to punish those he believed were responsible. “It is unconscionable, even unthinkable, that criminals who are pretending to be protesting peacefully can unleash a reign of terror on the people, their elected representatives and their constitutional institutions and expect to go unpunished,” Mr Ruto added.
Defense Minister Aden Duale said defense forces had been deployed to support police, who were responding to a “security emergency” sparked by the protests, which have spread to other Kenyan cities.
Unrest over the finance bill has rocked Kenya, an East African economic powerhouse of 54 million people that has long been a pillar of stability in a volatile region. At least one person was killed and 200 others were injured in clashes last week. Protests across the country, According to Amnesty International.
The Ruto government introduced the finance bill in May. Kimani Ichung’wah, the majority leader in parliament, said the bill was “critical” to ensure revenue for key government initiatives, including building roads, hiring teachers and providing fertilizer subsidies to farmers.
Supporters also say the extra taxes would limit borrowing in a country facing a heavy debt burden.
“Without passage of this bill, the basic operations of government will grind to a halt,” he wrote. On social The agency revealed the news to media last week, adding that lawmakers had responded to criticism by removing taxes on unpopular bread and other goods.
But many Kenyans have harshly criticised the legislation, saying it still Increase punitive taxes The government has imposed tariffs on imported staples such as eggs, onions and cooking oil, and raised taxes on a variety of goods and services. Critics have also pointed to corruption and mismanagement of government funds, accusing the government of Luxurious lifestyle and extravagant spending This, they say, has been the hallmark of the Ruto government since it came to power in 2022.
The president now has two weeks to sign the bill or send it back to parliament for amendments.
Young Kenyans driving the protests say their movement transcends class, tribe and race.
Some protesters confronted officials at public gatherings and inside churches, and carried coffins to the offices of lawmakers who supported the bill.
“For too long, politicians have underestimated our power, energy and passion,” said content creator Muchiri Mike, 25. “We are now asking questions and demanding answers, and they are amazed at this revolution happening on their doorstep.”
On Saturday, nightclubs across Kenya played the national anthem in protest against the finance bill. Church leaders and congregants Voiced They opposed increased taxes on religious ceremonies.
As protests spread on Tuesday, demonstrators draped themselves in Kenyan flags, blew whistles and plastic horns and chanted “Ruto must go.” In Nakuru, about 100 miles northwest of Nairobi, they blocked streets with burning tires and chanted “No,” a hashtag on social media that has inspired the anti-tax movement.
Government officials accused Unspecified foreign power Incite the protests and denounce the protesters as privileged young people who carry iPhones, take Ubers to protest, and then eat at KFC.
Protesters reject that characterization.
“The question is not how we protest, but why we protest,” said Anita Barasa, 19, whose TikTok Videos The speech about the demonstrations has gained a large number of followers. “They are trying to divert people’s attention from our demands, but we cool kids see that our future is not bright and want to make a change.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s demonstration, several Famous critics The Act KidnappedThe kidnappers have not been identified publicly, but some of them are Believed to be an intelligence agentThis is according to Faith Odhiambo, president of the Bar Association. Ms. Odhiambo later said that some of the kidnapped Released.
Some protesters said they received threatening or intimidating phone calls in the days and hours before the protests and feared for their lives.
Human rights groups have long accused successive Kenyan governments of kidnapping and torturing critics. Police did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, but Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Kum condemned the kidnappings. Called it a “direct attack” on the rule of law.
Ambassadors from 13 Western countries to Kenya, including the United States, said in a joint statement they were “shocked” by scenes outside Kenya’s parliament and “deeply concerned” by allegations that some protesters had been abducted by security forces.
“We condemn the violence that has occurred during protests in Nairobi and across Kenya,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a briefing in Washington on Tuesday. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint in order to restore order and provide space for dialogue,” he added.
Auma Obama, half sister of former President Barack Obama, was among the protesters surrounded by tear gas on Tuesday, according to CNN footage. “The young people of Kenya are demonstrating for their rights,” Ms. Obama told CNN reporters before beginning to cough and wince.
“I couldn’t see anything,” she said.
Nairobi activists urged protesters to leave the city center just after 6 p.m. Two protesters said public transportation was not well served, so they walked home with others.
“Go home. While it’s still safe,” Boniface Mwangi, a Kenyan photographer and activist, wrote on social media. “The government will send thugs to destroy, loot and blame peaceful protesters. They must listen to us. Tell people to start walking home in groups. We will be back.”
Reported by Lindsay Chuttle, Cassandra Winograd, Jeffrey Gettleman and Michael Levenson.
