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Several people were killed during Tuesday’s national protests against the Finance Bill 2024 after police fired live rounds at protesters trying to storm Kenya’s parliament, where lawmakers voted to pass a contentious finance bill that would hike taxes.
Thousands of people joined the youth-led demonstration in Nairobi to demand that lawmakers vote against the bill amid soaring tensions over a cost-of-living crisis in the country.
But the MPs voted to pass the bill, and some then fled the chamber as protesters breached the complex of the Parliament. Parts of the Parliament building were set ablaze.
At least five people were killed and 31 others were wounded, the Kenya Medical Association and several other NGOs said in a statement Tuesday.
It said that of the wounded, 13 had been shot with live bullets and four with rubber bullets.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) , an NGO , said it “witnessed police firing their guns when protesters marched along City Hall Way”. It warned police against shooting protesters. “To President @WilliamsRuto: the world is watching your descent into tyranny! Your regime’s actions are an assault on democracy. All those involved in the shooting – actively or passively – must be held to account,” KHRC said.
Ruto said that the security of Kenyans remained his “utmost priority”. He called the protests “treasonous”, adding that they had been “hijacked by dangerous people”.
Police opened fire after tear gas and water cannons failed to disperse the crowds. The protesters overwhelmed the police and chased them away in an attempt to enter the parliament compound.
Police opened fire after tear gas and water cannons failed to disperse the crowds. They eventually managed to drive protesters from the parliament building and lawmakers were evacuated through an underground tunnel.
Later on Tuesday, Defence Minister Aden Duale said the army had been deployed to help the police deal with a “security emergency” which had resulted in the “destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure”.
“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 in a tough address to the nation Tuesday evening.
Internet monitor NetBlocks said on Tuesday that the country’s internet network service is experiencing a major disruption “amidst a deadly crackdown by police”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply concerned” by the deadly violence, his spokesman said.
“He’s very much saddened by the reports of deaths and injuries, including journalists and medical personnel,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a briefing.
The office of the Nairobi governor, a member of the ruling party, was also briefly on fire. The office is located near Parliament. Police water cannons were used to extinguish the fire.
Shortly after the Tuesday daytime chaos,and after Ruto had addressed the nation, an alleged massacre of civilians was reported in Githurai, where several people were reportedly killed and tens injured. The Kenya Human Rights Commission, a reputable NGO that defends human rights in the country, through a statement blamed Ruto’s angry and threats-ridden speech for the alleged mass killings in Githurai.
“As of yesterday evening, the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG) recorded 23 deaths caused by police shootings nationwide. There were over 50 arrests, 22 abductions and over 300 injuries. Reports reaching us also indicate that police opened fire and killed several people in Githurai, Nairobi, last night,” KHRC stated.
“Responsibility for these killings lies squarely with Ruto, even though he was not present on the street. He cannot escape accountability. Adamson Bungei, the immediate former Nairobi police commander, is equally liable. Ruto has overseen a planned and executable massacre against peaceful protesters who came out across the country to protest the punitive Finance Bill, 2024,” the NGO added.
However, on Sunday June 30, 2024, in a joint media interview, the President refuted his involvement in the deaths. “I have no blood on my hands. 19 people to the record that I have are dead. Very unfortunate, as a democracy that should not be part of our conversation,” he said.
However, Ruto admitted that the police used live bullets in some instances, but said the police should have explanations for every incident that they were engaged in. “I am telling every parents, I have kids like they do and I care when there are issues in town where criminals can take advantage of situations and create a situation where the police have to use rubber bullets and live bullets in some cases because that is what an independent police service has to do.”
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