There is chaos in Kenya following the approval by Parliament of a controversial budget law which provides for tax increases in a series of highly sensitive sectors. After the first wave of protests last week, in which two demonstrators died, demonstrators took to the streets again on Tuesday 25 June, coinciding with the approval of the law by parliament. This despite the fact that, after the first wave of protests, the government canceled most of the taxes that had been included in the controversial bill, in particular a 16 percent tax on bread, as well as higher taxes on cooking oil. kitchen and mobile money services.
After a peaceful start, the protest escalated when demonstrators stormed Nairobi’s parliament building, damaging a section of it and sending a huge plume of smoke rising from it. According to what emerged from the images broadcast live by local broadcasters, hundreds of protesters entered the complex where Parliament is located and dense clouds of tear gas could be seen engulfing the building. The protesters were later chased out of the Parliament building, while some parliamentarians were evacuated through the emergency tunnels dug under the institutional headquarters.
In addition to Parliament, protesters also stormed the city hall building, as well as the headquarters of President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, setting both buildings on fire. In the protests, as reported by the Kenya Human Rights Commission, four demonstrators were shot and one of them was killed. However, the “Citizen TV” broadcaster speaks of several protesters being hit, while unofficial paramedical sources speak of at least 10 protesters killed, although the death toll is likely to increase significantly as the police continue to repress protesters inside and outside parliament.
At least 45 injured people have been admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, the city’s main health facility, according to the hospital’s official X profile. The Kenya Red Cross, for its part, reported that its vehicles were attacked and its staff and some volunteers were injured while transporting the injured away from the protests that are setting the capital Nairobi on fire. “We cannot guarantee life-saving interventions without access and safety for our staff and volunteers. It is vital that we are granted access to continue our humanitarian efforts unhindered,” the Red Cross wrote on X.
