Tension skyrocketing Kenyawhere they broke out hard protests following the approval of a controversial one bill of the president William Ruto which imposes tax increases. In Nairobi, the country’s capital, thousands of protesters attacked the building Parliament setting fire to part of the building. There police he responded by opening fire on the demonstrators and a very harsh clash ensued. There is still no official estimate of the violence, although various sources speak of at least 5 victims and dozens injured. The police managed to disperse the crowd but the situation is still chaotic.
What’s happening in Kenya
Demonstrators tried to get past police to enter Parliament shortly after lawmakers voted to approve the disputed finance law. A large group of protesters entered the building and set it on fire. The office of the governor of Nairobi, a member of the ruling party, was also set on fire. The office is located near Parliament and police used water cannons to put out the fire.
One fatally shot person was wrapped in a Kenyan flag and taken away. The Kenyatta National Hospital declared that it had received 45 victims, without specifying whether they were dead or injured. The President of the Kenya Law Society, Faith Odhiambo, said 50 Kenyans, including his personal assistant, had been “kidnapped” by people believed to be police officers. According to civil society groups, among the missing there are also people who actively participated in the demonstrations that have been held in the country for days and who were taken from their homes, workplaces and public spaces before today’s protests.
Last week, 2 deaths were recorded in protests. Doctors have set up temporary emergency shelters in several cities. The third round of protests took place while Parliament was meeting to vote on the finance law it is expected to introduce new taxes, including an eco-tax that will increase the price of goods such as sanitary pads and diapers. The proposal to tax bread was removed following the protests, but protesters continue to call on Parliament not to pass the law.
The toll of the violence
The Kenya Human Rights Commission shared a video showing officers shooting at protesters and said they would be held accountable. “The world is watching your descent into tyranny! Your regime’s actions are an attack on democracy. Everyone who was involved in the shooting actively or passively must be held accountable“, the commission wrote on X while addressing President Ruto.
The protest also spread to other parts of the country. A witness said protesters tried to storm the State House in the western city of Nakuru. They also burned the offices of the ruling party in Embuin central Kenya, as reported by the newspaper Nation. Citizen TV showed a clip from Nyeri, in central Kenya, with police confronting protesters in the streets. Another media, the broadcaster Ktnreported that he had “received threats from the authorities” to shut them down while the protests followed.
The monitoring site NetBlocks in the meantime he spoke about problems with Internet in Kenya.
“Real-time network data shows serious problems with the Internet connection” in the country, after the protests against the new financial law, he wrote on X. La BBC underlined that national authorities very rarely block access to the network. Just two days ago, the government promised that they would not restrict access to the internet.
