Police fired live rounds at demonstrators protesting against a controversial finance bill in Kenya’s capital on Tuesday. According to the reports, at least five people were killed in the violence that took place in the captial city.
The protests that were sparked by the Finance Bill 2024 had witnessed several thousands taking to the streets under the campaign “7 Days of Rage.” The demonstrations had been taking place to address the proposed tax hikes as the anger mounted amongst the citizens which resulted in a “total shutdown” of the country on Tuesday which had gradually taken a drastic turn.
A CNN team on the ground witnessed harrowing scenes, including the sight of two bodies lying motionless in the streets of Nairobi. The had unrest prompted a joint statement from activists, lawyers, and medical professionals, who reported that at least five people had been shot dead, with 31 others injured. Of the injured, 13 were hit with live bullets, four with rubber bullets, and three with launcher canisters.
“Despite the assurance by the Government that the right to assembly would be protected and facilitated, today’s protests have spiraled into violence. Human rights observers and medical officers have reported several incidents of human rights violation,” the statement from Amnesty International Kenya, the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Police Reforms Working Group Kenya said.
The demonstration had reportedly, gradually taken a gruesome turn when protesters set fire to Kenya’s parliament building and stole the ceremonial mace. Lawmakers present at the scene were forced to escape through an underground tunnel to the nearby government building, Bunge Towers, as police clashed with the demonstrators.
Further chaos ensued as Nairobi’s City Hall, housing the office of the Governor of Nairobi, was also set ablaze, the ive footage of which was presented by Citizen TV showing flames and smoke billowing from the building. Vehicles parked at the nearby Supreme Court were torched, adding to the mayhem.
The protests also saw a personal drama involving Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama. During a live interview with CNN, Obama and a group of young protesters were teargassed by police. “I can’t even see anymore, we’re being teargassed,” Obama said in dramatic footage. Despite the incident, a spokesperson for former President Obama declined to comment.
President William Ruto has called for dialogue with the protesters, expressing a mixed message of pride in their activism while security forces face accusations of abductions. Amnesty International Kenya is investigating the whereabouts of up to 12 individuals, including bloggers, human rights defenders, and a parliamentary staffer, who were allegedly abducted ahead of Tuesday’s protests. “We are horrified by some of the testimonies we have heard over the last 24 hours. We have about 12 people unaccounted for who have been picked up, in many cases, by people who are uniformed or not uniformed,said Amnesty Kenya executive director Irũngũ Houghton. “We are now seeing not just abductions but disappearances,” he said.
The timing of the protests coincides with Kenya’s rising international profile, as US President Joe Biden recently designated the country a “major non-NATO ally,” a first for a sub-Saharan African nation. This designation, announced during President Ruto’s state visit to the White House in May, underscores the strategic importance of Kenya on the global stage.
