Kenyan demonstrators marched in the capital on Tuesday (6th June) to protest the cost of living crisis and a new Finance Bill that aims to implement fresh or increased taxes.
The proposed legislation, known as the Finance Bill 2023, calls for new or increased taxes on a wide range of items, including fuel and food, as well as beauty products, cryptocurrencies, and social media influencers.
At the scene the police fired several volleys of tear gas and arrested 11 people, bundling them into a police truck, in an attempt to disperse the demonstration.
As a group of 100 Kenyan demonstrators marched towards the parliament, which resumed on Tuesday after a recess and is expected to debate the legislation this week, the protesters chanted, “Down, down Finance Bill.”
“They want to kill us with hunger,” they voiced their concerns.
The organisers of the demonstrations, which were notified to the police, have dubbed them “sita sita” (six six), as they were held on the sixth day of the sixth month.
The marchers waved placards with messages such as “Will more taxation lead to a low cost of living” and “Poverty is man-made.”
“We are witnessing some chaos, which is not right. We are being chased, but we are fighting for our rights,” stated Rodgers Obogi, a 23-year-old unemployed man who was among the protesters.