Kenyan police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters in the capital, Nairobi, amid ongoing anti-tax demonstrations across the country.
The city has witnessed closures of businesses and a halt in transportation, as clashes between police and protesters escalate.
Led by youth, the protests aim to persuade Members of Parliament to oppose proposed tax hikes.
Although the government has retracted some contentious measures, it argues that new taxes are necessary to finance expenditure programs and alleviate debt pressures.
An AFP journalist reported overhearing a police officer instructing colleagues to retrieve rubber bullets from a box, after which the police allegedly began firing into the air and at demonstrators.
Security forces have been stationed to safeguard vital government facilities, including parliament.
Since morning, anti-riot police have deployed tear gas to disband protesters amidst confrontations with security personnel.
According to a BBC correspondent in Nairobi, the crowds, numbering in the thousands, surpass previous protest gatherings, and authorities appear to be struggling to contain the situation.
Despite chants of “reject the finance bill” from protesters, their attempts to reach the parliament complex have been thwarted by police forces thus far.
“We are coming to reject the taxes that are being imposed… We had been given promises that within two years we would see change, but what change are we seeing?” 24-year-old Derrick Mwathu told the BBC.
“There some things that are hard to understand, like how can you impose 16% tax on bread! How can you tax sanitary pads.”
He referred specifically to certain initially proposed controversial measures; however, the government has since clarified that it will not levy taxes on bread and will only impose taxes on imported sanitary items.
Moreover, significant crowds have gathered in numerous other regions of the country, with the Daily Nation, a local Kenyan newspaper, reporting protests in approximately 30 out of the country’s 47 counties.
Television news channels are broadcasting simultaneous live footage from various cities across the nation, showcasing the scale of the demonstrations.
Prior to the protests, legal experts and human rights organizations voiced apprehensions regarding arbitrary arrests and intimidation of activists during previous protests.
These concerns arose amidst reports of the abduction of at least five prominent social media users at dawn, mere hours before the scheduled demonstrations.
The protests have garnered attention from Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine and South Africa’s Julius Malema, both of whom have expressed their solidarity.
While the government maintains the necessity of these taxes for generating additional revenue to alleviate Kenya’s debt, it recently yielded to some demands.
In response to public outcry, it revoked several contentious taxes, including those proposed on bread, cooking oil, and motor vehicle ownership.
However, protesters contend that these concessions are insufficient and continue to demand the complete withdrawal of the bill.
Nevertheless, a majority of MPs passed the controversial bill during its second reading and were deliberating on various amendments on Tuesday, aiming to eliminate clauses deemed contentious by the government.
Last week’s demonstrations, which were predominantly peaceful, resulted in at least two fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
Mr. Ruto acknowledged the protests and pledged to engage in discussions to address the concerns of the youth who are at the forefront of these demonstrations.