Kenya Protest: 1 Dead, Parliament On Fire As Protests Continue

Kenyan police shot and killed a protester near parliament on Tuesday, as reported by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). AFP journalists observed three motionless bodies as crowds protesting proposed tax hikes breached barricades and entered the parliamentary complex, where a fire broke out.

The protests, mainly led by Gen-Z, have surprised the government. President William Ruto expressed his willingness to engage with the protesters over the weekend. However, tensions escalated Tuesday afternoon as crowds threw stones at police and pushed past barricades toward the sealed-off parliament complex, where lawmakers were debating the contentious tax hike bill. Police responded by firing live bullets, as confirmed by KHRC, which reported one protester dead and four shot.

Irungu Houghton, Amnesty International Kenya’s executive director, reported increasing use of live ammunition by the police in Nairobi. He emphasized the urgent need for safe passage for medical personnel to treat the wounded. The protests, sparked by a cost-of-living crisis, began last week with demonstrators demanding the scrapping of the finance bill amid rising prices of essentials like bread and nappies.

Despite a heavy police presence, thousands of protesters marched through Nairobi’s business district, pushing against barricades and facing tear gas and rubber bullets. Protests also took place in Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret. Two people had previously died following Thursday’s rallies in Nairobi, and rights groups reported at least 200 people wounded last week.

Amnesty International Kenya highlighted the deteriorating pattern of protest policing and urged the government to respect the right to assembly. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority and rights groups accused authorities of abducting protesters, demanding their unconditional release.

The cash-strapped government, facing a massive debt burden, agreed to roll back some tax increases but still plans to raise other taxes to reduce reliance on external borrowing. Critics argue these hikes will exacerbate inflation and economic hardship in a country where a third of the 52 million population lives in poverty.