Protesters in Kenya clashed with police on Tuesday, with at least five killed and dozens wounded, after police opened fire on demonstrators trying to storm the legislature over proposed tax increases.
Chaos erupted in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Tuesday as protesters, demanding President William Ruto's resignation over planned tax hikes, clashed violently with police.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the crowd, but protesters overwhelmed officers and chased them away, gaining entry to the parliament compound.
Kenya's Protests Escalate: Five Protesters Killed, Parliament Building Torched
As demonstrators tried to storm the parliament building, police resorted to live ammunition, killing at least five protesters. Reuters journalist counted the bodies of five victims outside parliament, while a paramedic estimated at least 10 had been shot dead.
Inside the parliament, lawmakers quickly passed legislation to raise taxes, adding fuel to the fire of protester anger. Flames engulfed sections of the parliament building, forcing lawmakers to evacuate through underground tunnels.
Kenya's Protests Escalate: Five Protesters Killed, Parliament Building Torched
Across the country, protests and clashes took place in several cities and towns, with many demonstrators calling for Ruto's resignation and expressing vocal opposition to the tax increases.
Internet services were severely disrupted during the police crackdown, with network operator Safaricom reporting two undersea cables were out of action, causing widespread outages.
The finance bill, which aims to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes to lighten Kenya's heavy debt load, was approved by parliament and is set to be forwarded to Ruto for signing.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga condemned the violence and urged the immediate withdrawal of the Finance Bill, calling for dialogue instead.
The government has made concessions, promising to scrap proposed taxes on bread, cooking oil, car ownership, and financial transactions. However, these concessions have fallen short of satisfying protesters.
The protests, initially focused on the finance bill, have escalated to demand Ruto's resignation. The opposition boycotted the vote in parliament, vehemently opposing the legislation.
Amid the civil unrest, Kenya's sovereign dollar bonds experienced a decline, reflecting investor nervousness.
Protester Hussein Ali, 18, expressed strong opposition to the government's policies. "They are budgeting for corruption," he said. "We won't relent. It's the government that is going to back off. Not us."
The Kenyan police have not responded to requests for comment.
