Photo credit: News24
A part of the parliament building in Kenya was burnt as lawmakers were scampering, and police were firing in unrest as anti-tax protesters stormed Kenya’s parliament building on Tuesday.
AP reports that several people were killed as the president vowed to quash the protest.
It was the most direct assault on the government in decades. Journalists saw at least three bodies outside the complex where police had opened fire, and medical workers reported five people killed. While crashes spread to other cities, there was no immediate report of arrests.
President William Ruro said, “Today’s events mark a critical turning point on how we respond to threats to our national security” He called the events “treasonous”,
Kenya’s defence minister said the military had been deployed to support the police.
Protesters are demanding that legislators vote against a finance bill imposing new taxes. In Kenya, there is a lot of frustration over the high cost of living. Youth voted Ruto into power because he promised economic relief, but they have yet to receive it.
However, lawmakers passed the bill before fleeing through a tunnel as protesters outsmarted police and poured into the building.
The Kenya Medical Association said at least five people were fatally shot while trying to treat wounded people. It said over 30 people were wounded, at least 13 with live bullets. Live ammunition and tear gas canisters were used by the police on protesters who sought treatment at a medical tent at a nearby church. Kenyatta National Hosp[ital said it received 45 casualties.
A person shot dead was wrapped in a Kenyan flag and carried away. Another lay on the sidewalk, their thread in the gutter.
Internet service slowed down in the country, and a broadcaster said they had received tests from the authorities to shut down.
Although he has two weeks to act, Ruto was expected to sign the finance bill into law this week.
The Kenyan Human Rights Commission shared a video of officers shooting at protesters, and it urged Ruto to issue an immediate order to “stop the killings.”
The president instead said the government had “mobilized all resources” to ensure order.
Ruto tried to calm the rising public tensions on Sunday, saying he was proud of the young Kenyans who came out to exercise their democratic duty in earlier protests and promising to engage them in discussing their concerns.
The youth said they were uniting to keep the government in check as fuel prices, food, and other essential things have skyrocketed in Nairobi. Inequality among Kenyans has sharpened, along with long-held frustrations over state corruption.
Opposition to the finance bill has united some Kenyans, with some rejecting the tribal divisions that have previously torn Kenyans apart. Some who had passionately supported Ruto felt betrayed.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti on Tuesday to lead a United Nations-backed multinational force against the powerful gangs that have been holding the country hostage..
