Kenyan protesters pledged on Wednesday to continue their demonstrations over new tax hikes, a day after police opened fire on crowds attempting to storm parliament, killing at least twenty-two people and injuring hundreds.
At least 22 people were killed in Tuesday’s protests, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHRC).
An angry crowd broke through police lines to storm parliament in the capital, Nairobi, setting parts of it on fire. The unprecedented scenes from the clash on Tuesday have shocked Kenyans and prompted President William Ruto to deploy the military.
In an address on Tuesday evening, President William Ruto stated that all means would be deployed to “thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country.”
He has deployed the military to quell the protests.
Kenyan protesters pledged on Wednesday to continue their demonstrations over new tax hikes, a day after police opened fire on crowds attempting to storm parliament, killing at least eight people and injuring hundreds.
As heavily armed officers patrolled the streets of Nairobi, supporters of the week-old protest movement flocked to social media with the hashtag #tutanethursday, which means “see you on Thursday” in Swahili and English.
Protests against an unpopular finance bill, which includes several tax increases, have been ongoing for days. However, they escalated on Tuesday as MPs passed an amended bill.
Protesters broke into parliament, vandalised the interior, and set parts of the complex on fire. The ceremonial mace, symbolising the authority of the legislature, was stolen.
Police opened fire with live ammunition, killing at least five people, according to the Kenya Medical Association. A BBC reporter at the scene reported seeing bodies lying on the street in pools of blood.
“There are some things that are hard to understand, like how can you impose 16% tax on bread? How can you tax sanitary pads?” 24-year-old Derrick Mwathu told the BBC, referring to some of the proposals contained in the original bill.
President Ruto says he will withdraw the contentious finance bill in an address to the nation. He said it was clear that Kenyans “want nothing” to do with the bill.
“I concede,” he said, adding that he would not sign the bill into law. Ruto said he would now hold discussions with the young people, who were at the forefront of the biggest protests to hit the country since he was elected in 2022.