Kenya shocked as protests against finance bill turn deadly in Nairobi

Kenya is reeling after unprecedented scenes inflamed parts of Parliament as protests against a finance bill recommending tax hikes turned deadly, prompting President William Ruto’s government to deploy the army.

The rallies, mainly led by young people, began largely peacefully last week, with thousands of demonstrators marching in the capital, Nairobi, and across the country against tax increases.

Lawmakers voted to pass the controversial finance bill amid growing unrest over the country’s cost-of-living crisis.

Tensions flared on Tuesday when police fired live ammunition into a crowd who then stormed the Parliament building in Nairobi. Rights groups including the Kenya Medical Association said five people were killed in the violence and more than 30 injured.

Hours later, Defense Minister Aden Bare Duale announced that the government had deployed the army to support the police in the fight against the “security emergency” in the country.

At a late-night press briefing, Ruto warned his government would take a hard line against “violence and anarchy”, equating some protesters with “criminals”.

The government was surprised by the intensity of opposition to its tax proposals, which culminated in the shocking scenes in Parliament, broadcast live on television.

The footage showed crowds breaking through barricades and ransacking the parliament building, setting furniture on fire and breaking windows.

As police fired on the angry crowd, leaving several bodies strewn on the ground, protest organizers urged people to go home together and “stay safe.”

Other rallies in various Kenyan towns were largely peaceful earlier in the day.

Internet services collapsed, with global web monitor NetBlocks reporting that Kenya had suffered a “major disruption” before access was restored overnight.

Nairobi was bracing for more protests on Wednesday.