The Kenyan military was deployed Tuesday following escalating violence that left at least four protesters dead and numerous others injured after the controversial Finance Bill was passed, raising taxes.
Protests erupted into chaos as police attempted to disperse rioters who stormed Parliament with live bullets and tear gas shortly after the bill’s approval. Many protesters sustained serious bullet wounds.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale authorised the military deployment through a Gazette Notice, citing the police’s inability to control the situation, especially in Nairobi. Duale stated, “The Kenya Defence Forces is deployed on June 25, 2024, in support of the National Police Service in response to the security emergency caused by ongoing violent protests, resulting in the destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure.”
Critical infrastructure affected included the Supreme Court and City Hall, the Nairobi County Headquarters, which were also set ablaze by protesters.
President William Ruto was scheduled to address the nation at 9 pm, according to State House Press Secretary Emmanuel Talam.
Witnesses reported seeing four bodies of protesters shot dead, lying in pools of blood outside Parliament. Ambulances rushed more than 10 people to hospitals, while others writhed in pain on the ground. Protesters and police engaged in running battles throughout the day, with security officers firing rubber bullets and tear gas.
The unrest extended beyond Nairobi, with similar violence reported in about 30 of Kenya’s 47 counties. Businesses shut down and transportation was paralyzed in the capital as the youth-led protests demanded MPs reject the proposed tax increases. The government defended the new taxes as essential for funding spending programs and reducing debt but had already scrapped some contentious taxes on bread, cooking oil, and motor vehicle ownership in response to public outcry.
Earlier reports described police officers preparing to fire rubber bullets at protesters. Key government installations, including Parliament, were under heavy police protection.
International support for the protests came from Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine and South Africa’s Julius Malema. Concerns about arbitrary arrests and the intimidation of activists were raised by lawyers and human rights groups, with reports of at least five prominent social media users being abducted hours before the demonstrations.
Despite the protests, a majority of MPs passed the Finance Bill during its second reading, debating amendments to remove some contentious clauses.
President Ruto acknowledged the protests, promising to hold talks to address the concerns of the youth leading the demonstrations. Last week’s protests, though largely peaceful, resulted in two deaths and hundreds of injuries.
