Soldiers and police were deployed Wednesday on the streets of Kenya’s capital, a day after protesters stormed the country’s parliament as part of demonstrations against tax increases.
At least six people were killed and more than 100 injured Tuesday as the protesters in Nairobi burned part of the parliament building and police responded with gunfire as they sought to disperse the crowd.
In a televised address to the nation Tuesday night, Kenyan President William Ruto condemned the protesters’ actions as treasonous and a threat to national security.
“It is not in order or even conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established under our constitution and expect to go scot-free,” Ruto said.
Thousands of Kenyans enraged by a new tax-raising measure clashed in cities across the country. But in the capital, Nairobi, they fought their way past the police and into the parliament, demanding that lawmakers reject the proposed tax hikes.
“We’re coming for every politician,” protesters were heard shouting.
The lawmakers made it safely out of the building, and the fires were later put out.
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, said Tuesday the U.N. chief was “deeply concerned over the violence” and “saddened” by the deaths and injuries in the Kenyan protests. The secretary-general is calling for the security forces to “exercise restraint” and for “the demonstrators to protest peacefully,” Dujarric said.
A joint statement from 13 Western ambassadors expressed regret at the injuries and loss of life during the protests and called for restraint on all sides. A U.S. official told VOA that “we’re closely monitoring the situation in Nairobi” and that the U.S. urges calm and condemns any violence.
Lawmakers passed the bill containing the tax hikes on a 195-106 vote before fleeing the premises. It now goes to Ruto to sign into law.
Demonstrations against the finance bill also took place Tuesday in the cities of Mombasa, Kisumu and Naivasha.
Kenya has seen a growing youth-led movement in recent days against the tax increases, which the government says are necessary to continue to pay the interest on its high sovereign debt.
The protests have largely been peaceful, but domestic and international human rights groups say two people were killed during demonstrations last week, while accusing police of illegally detaining protesters.
Lawmakers scrapped some proposed increases from the measure, including new taxes on bread, car ownership and financial transactions. That didn’t appear to satisfy protesters, however, who say the cost of living in Kenya is already too high.
VOA’s Mariama Diallo and Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information also came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
