Police fire rubber-coated bullets and tear gas at protesters in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and protesters respond with stone-throwing, reporters on the ground say. At 2 p.m. Swedish time, protesters are said to have stormed the parliament, reports Reuters. According to the news agency, there is a fire in the parliament building and the bodies of five protesters are said to lie outside.
The reason for the extensive protests is, among other things, a controversial tax increase that politicians are currently debating in Parliament.
– We are past the “conversation stage” and will not be silent. We demand an end to police violence, respect for our constitutional rights and freedom to raise our voices without fear of arrest or harm, said protester Hanifa Adan to the AFP news agency.
The largely youth- and student-led protests began last week.
– We are peaceful, shout the protesters according to AFP.
At least two people have died
So far, at least two people have died. Among the deaths is a 21-year-old man who was hit by a tear gas canister and a 29-year-old who is suspected of having been shot dead by a police officer.
At least another 200 have been injured and scores have been arrested, according to Amnesty International in Kenya. Despite this, the protests have continued to grow in scale, spreading to the cities of Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret.
President William Ruto’s government is said to have been bedeviled by widespread discontent among the country’s youth.
As a result of the protests, the financially hard-pressed government agreed last week to withdraw several proposals for tax increases, including on bread and cooking oil. But several planned tax increases remain.
Parliament must vote on the bill before the end of the month.