5 killed as Kenyan police crackdown on tax protests; Parliament was set on fire

At 3pm on Tuesday, a group of protesters breached the Parliament building in Nairobi’s central city and later broke into the fortified complex. Gunshots could be heard from Kenya’s parliament, and several more people were reported dead on social media. The Washington Post could not confirm the death toll from the incident.

The legislation, titled Finance Bill 2024, was introduced into the Parliament of Kenya for debate in May. This requires an increase in taxable earnings, excise duties and value added taxes and the introduction of new sources of revenue tax divisions in the country’s finance regulations.

The tax legislation introduced by Ruto’s government was debated in the Parliament of Kenya for the first time. It reached a climax in negotiations on Tuesday, when 195 MPs, originally from the president’s ruling party, voted in favour. There were 1o6 people who voted against, mainly from minority opposition parties. The law was passed on Tuesday as protests continued in several parts of the country.

At least one person, Rex Kanyike Masai, 29, died after being shot during a protest against the extremist party. Rights groups said more than 200 delegates were injured as the incident began at the height of the protests.

Masai had left home at 4 pm on Thursday with his best friend to attend the protest safely and was injured when police fired at the protesters.

“I asked the police for help,” the friend told The Post on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “He refused to help, some said he found what he was looking for.” Masai died on the way to the health centre, he said.

The demonstrations have been largely branded as Gen Z protests, aimed at the top group of youth who took to the streets.

“What we are seeing is young protesters who don’t need anyone to lead them, they are coming to the streets to say they are tired,” said George Mwangi, 32, who drives a taxi in Nairobi. “In every generation, there comes a time when people decide enough is enough, and this is one of those moments,” he said.

Mwangi remained outside the Nairobi Central Industrial District on Tuesday morning, now unsure how the protests would turn out. Most Kenyan schools were closed due to a midterm fracture a generation ago, with some safety concerns cited in memos sent to the public in the wake of Tuesday’s protests.

Most companies in Nairobi’s central industrial district closed early Tuesday as crowds chanted, “Ruto must go”, while some sang the national anthem. Huge vehicles filled with armed security personnel continued to patrol the city. There used to be heavy security deployment on the streets of the President’s business residence.

As the era progressed, more protesters came out to march. “We are willing to die for this country,” one protester said as he took over a police truck and held a placard declaring the year’s status. When they were arrested, the police fired tear gas to disperse the people gathered on the road.

The Separate Medico Criminal Unit (IMLU), a rights team in Kenya made up of lawyers and doctors, told The Post that at least one person died and fifty protesters were arrested during Tuesday’s protests. Twenty-six separate casualties from live bullets, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters were recorded as of 2 pm on Tuesday. The IMLU said he was trying to save a doctor who was hit by a tear gas canister in the back of an injured protestor. Due to police opposition on the streets, the crowd was not able to get an ambulance near him.

Some of the controversial sections of the tax law are the suggestion to increase the tax source of income earned from virtual platforms, the tax on food products such as bread and edible oil and the proposed tax on contributions made to the social security budget. The bill first proposed the imposition of a tax called the motor car tax at a rate of 2.5% of the value of a motor car’s ownership, and a surrounding tax known as an eco-levy tax. Duties will be imposed on imported manufactured goods such as sanitary towels, diapers and telephones.

At the last moment, the Office of the President announced that changes had been made to the proposed finance law. “The changes in the Finance Bill have taken into account the views of the people and other stakeholders during the public participation session,” it said.

Controversial sections have been removed from the proposed law, the comment said, including the proposed 16% value-added tax on bread and the proposed tax on financial products and services, motor car tax and proposed increase in cell cash transfer fees and taxes. Has gone. Alternative products like vegetable oil. Taxes on some social security systems, such as Social Security insurance, have also been eliminated, the comment said.