Kenyan police have shot tear gas and rubber bullets to scatter protesters in the capital, Nairobi, amid the ongoing anti-tax demonstrations across the country.
Businesses have been closed down and transport has been immobilised in the city, with the police engaging in running battles with protestors.
The youth-led protests are calling on MPs to reject the planned tax increases.
But the government is insisting that new taxes are needed to fund spending programs and minimise the debt burden.
Already, it has rowed back on some of the most controversial measures on the taxes.
An AFP journalist had quoted a police officer telling his colleagues to “get the rubber bullets from the box”.
Police officials had then allegedly started firing in the air and at the protesters.
According to reports, the anti-riot police have been using tear gas to disperse the protesters amid clashes with the security officers.
A BBC reporter in Nairobi said the crowds, in their thousands, were much larger than in previous protests and the police seemed to be overwhelmed.
The protesters who have been shouting “reject the finance bill”, have promised to get to the parliament complex but so far the police have succeeded in pushing them back.
Huge crowds have also been spotted in many other parts of the country, with local Kenyan newspaper, the Daily Nation reporting protests that are occurring in about 30 of the country’s 47 counties.
The protests have attracted the attention of Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine and South Africa’s Julius Malema who have both shown their support for the citizens.
The government, unfettered, has defended the taxes, saying they were necessary for raising additional revenue to reduce Kenya’s debt, but it did concede to some demands last week, scrapping some problematic taxes including recommended taxes on bread, cooking oil and motor vehicle ownership in the aftermath of a public outcry.
This is mot enough for the protesters however, as they have been saying that this is not enough, and have campaigned for the complete withdrawal of the bill.
Despite that, majority MPs passed the controversial bill during its second reading and were on Tuesday, deliberating on the several amendments, to remove some of the clauses that the government regarded as contentious.
At the time of filing this report, at least two people have died in the protests and hundreds others injured in last week’s demonstrations, which had prior been peaceful.
President Ruto had meanwhile, acknowledged the protests and made a vow to schedule talks to address the concerns of the youth who are at the vanguard of the protests.
