At least five protesters have been shot dead by police in Kenya, and a section of parliament has been set ablaze as demonstrations against new tax proposals intensify.
An angry crowd broke through police lines to storm parliament in the capital, Nairobi, setting parts of it on fire.
In an address on Tuesday evening, President William Ruto stated that all means would be deployed to “thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country.”
He has deployed the military to quell the protests.
Protests against an unpopular finance bill, which includes several tax increases, have been ongoing for days. However, they escalated on Tuesday as MPs passed an amended bill.
Protesters broke into parliament, vandalized the interior, and set parts of the complex on fire. The ceremonial mace, symbolizing the authority of the legislature, was stolen.
Police opened fire with live ammunition, killing at least five people, according to the Kenya Medical Association. A BBC reporter at the scene reported seeing bodies lying on the street in pools of blood.
“There are some things that are hard to understand, like how can you impose 16% tax on bread? How can you tax sanitary pads?” 24-year-old Derrick Mwathu told the BBC, referring to some of the proposals contained in the original bill.
President Ruto pledged a tough response to what he called the “violence and anarchy”.
“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,” Mr Ruto added.