Nairobi—At least 23 people have so far been killed in protests against the contentious bill to increase taxes in Kenya as security forces violently tried to put down the protests.
The Police action angered the activists and called for more protests on Thursday to continue to call for the financial bill to be ditched and to honour those killed.
“You cannot kill all of us. Tomorrow we march peacefully again as we wear white, for all our fallen people,” Hanifa Adan, a prominent organiser of the youth-led demonstrations, posted on X. “You will not be forgotten!!!”
The mainly youth-led, the rallies began last week in a largely peaceful fashion as thousands protested against the proposed tax increases, which, in the original version, included price rises on basics such as bread and nappies.
However, tension spiked on Tuesday as parliament passed the bill. As police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets on crowds in Nairobi, reports of live rounds being fired saw protesters storm parliament and set it alight. President William Ruto then deployed the military. There is some confusion over the actual death toll. Unconfirmed reports quote the Kenya Medical Association as stating on Wednesday that at least 23 people were killed and another 30 were being treated for bullet wounds.
We have recorded 22 deaths … we are going to launch an inquiry,” said Roseline Odede, chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
The Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi said on Wednesday it was Nairobi—At least 23 people are reported to have been killed so far in protests against the contentious bill to increase taxes in Kenya as police violently tried to stop the protests.
The Police action angered protesters and called for more protests on Thursday to continue to call for the financial bill to be ditched and to honour those killed.
“You cannot kill all of us. Tomorrow we march peacefully again as we wear white, for all our fallen people,” Hanifa Adan, a prominent organiser of the youth-led demonstrations, posted on X. “You will not be forgotten!!!”
The mainly youth-led, the rallies began last week in a largely peaceful fashion as thousands protested against the proposed tax increases, which, in the original version, included price rises on basics such as bread and nappies.
However, tension spiked on Tuesday as parliament passed the bill. As police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets on crowds in Nairobi, reports of live rounds being fired saw protesters storm parliament and set it alight. President William Ruto then deployed the military.
There is some confusion over the actual death toll. Unconfirmed reports quote the Kenya Medical Association as stating on Wednesday that at least 23 people were killed and another 30 were being treating 160 people for injuries, including bullet wounds.
There were also claims on social media of multiple deaths in Githurai, a suburb east of Nairobi. Police later claimed that they fired more than 700 blank rounds in the area overnight in order to disperse protesters.
Looting was also reported in Nairobi and other counties. Buildings were set on fire in the Rift Valley town of Eldoret, a stronghold of Ruto.
Ruto, who came into power in 2022 pledging to reduce living costs, has said that the tax increases are necessary to cut reliance on foreign debt, which is currently equal to about 70 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
In televised comments late on Tuesday, the president said that portions of the crowds consisted of “criminals” and warned that the government would crack down on “violence and anarchy”.
The protesters say that they will continue to press the president to refuse to sign the financial bill, while analysts suggest that Ruto’s tough speech has raised tensions even further.
Generation Z has become even more enraged following the president’s words in which he “did not acknowledge” the issues they were raising nor the deaths at the hands of the authorities.
