By Brian Okoth
Kenya's President William Ruto described the deadly tax hike protests of Tuesday, June 25 as "treasonous", vowing swift and decisive response, saying the demonstrations were "organised and financed by dangerous people" out to cause "anarchy."
Protesters stormed into parliament buildings in unprecedented scenes that left at least five people dead and property destroyed in the capital Nairobi.
The aggrieved group is protesting against introduction of new taxes by President Ruto's administration, saying the new levies would push up the already high cost of living.
The new taxes, which were passed by parliament on Tuesday, will take effect on July 1 if Ruto assents to the finance bill 2024.
Running battles
The Tuesday protests brought Nairobi's central business district to a standstill.
The demonstrations were also witnessed in other parts of Kenya, including the Rift Valley city of Nakuru, central Kenya towns and the Rift Valley county of Kajiado, as well as Eldoret; the president's political backyard.
Thousands of demonstrators engaged police in running battles, with the law enforcement officers staging a strong response.
Some of the officers allegedly fired live ammunitions at the protesters.
Nairobi governor's office set on fire
Police also hurled teargas canisters and water cannons on the demonstrators. The office of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja was set on fire.
Attempts to torch a section of Kenya's parliament were quickly thwarted, though the protesters had surged into parliament buildings in a manner never-seen before in the East African nation.
In the capital, protesters largely overran police officers, with live video footage showing the officers taking cover behind water cannons and adjacent buildings.
The Kenya Red Cross said at least 90 people were injured in Nairobi alone, and a reinforcement of emergency medical staff was urgently needed.
Record-high budget
President Ruto seeks to introduce more taxes on imported sanitary towels, mobile phones and motorcycles, as well as impose taxes on land disposed under family trust schemes.
Ruto, who has drawn a record-high 3.9 trillion shillings – or $30 billion – budget for the financial year 2024/2025, says Kenya needs more revenue to avoid overreliance on loans.
The president has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits to access more funding, and a hard-pressed population.
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