At least five people were killed during street protests over a new tax proposal Tuesday in Kenya’s capital as police fired on protesters after thousands stormed into Kenya’s Parliament and set part of it on fire, according to human rights groups.
In a post on X, Amnesty Kenya said 31 people were injured, including 13 hit by live bullets and others hit by rubber bullets and launcher canisters; 11 suffered minor injuries. The five people killed had been treating the injured, the group said.
The protests targeted Kenya’s president, William Ruto, who, despite being lauded in Washington during a recent state dinner hosted by President Biden, has become deeply unpopular at home over tax hikes that have enraged the middle class. His ruling party pushed through a new tax bill Tuesday as the protests mounted.
At 3 p.m., a crowd of protesters who appeared to be unarmed breached Parliament buildings in Nairobi’s city center after entering the heavily fortified compound. Gunshots could be heard from Parliament. In the streets, police beat protesters and fired tear gas at them.
Kenya’s defense secretary, Aden Duale, ordered the deployment of Kenyan army troops to support the National Police Service in dealing with the nationwide protests, he wrote on X.
