By Lucy Adautin
A part of Kenya’s Parliament building caught fire on Tuesday as thousands of protesters opposing a new finance bill stormed the premises, causing legislators to flee.
This marked the most direct challenge to the government in decades.
Journalists witnessed at least three bodies outside the complex where police had opened fire.
The demonstrators demanded that lawmakers reject the bill, which proposes new taxes on East Africa’s economic hub, where the high cost of living has long been a source of frustration.
Predominantly youthful protesters outmaneuvered police to enter parliament shortly after the bill’s passage. Legislators escaped through a tunnel, while opposition lawmakers who voted against the bill were allowed to leave the besieged building.
One fatality was wrapped in a Kenyan flag and carried away.
Nearby, the office of Nairobi’s governor, aligned with the ruling party, briefly caught fire. Police used water cannons to extinguish the flames.
Protesters shouted, “We’re coming for every politician.”
Police responded with live ammunition and tear gas at a medical tent set up near the parliament complex, where injured protesters sought treatment. The Kenya Human Rights Commission posted a video of officers shooting at protesters, promising accountability.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Kenyan police officers, long criticized by human rights groups for abuses, arrived in Haiti to lead a UN-backed multinational force against powerful gangs. This deployment, despite legal challenges in Kenya, has proceeded with the support of U.S. President Joe Biden.
President William Ruto, attending an African Union retreat outside Nairobi on Tuesday, expressed pride in the youth’s democratic engagement and vowed to address their concerns.
Ruto is expected to sign the finance bill into law within two weeks. Tuesday’s unrest spread, with ruling party offices in Embu, central Kenya was set ablaze, according to the Nation newspaper.
Broadcaster KTN reported receiving threats from authorities to cease coverage.
Two fatalities occurred during similar protests last week, prompting civil society groups to warn of a crackdown.
Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo reported the “abduction” of 50 Kenyans, including her assistant, by individuals believed to be police officers. Civil society groups indicated that vocal demonstrators were taken from various locations ahead of Tuesday’s protests.
Police officials did not immediately respond to inquiries. Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula instructed the police inspector general to disclose the whereabouts of those allegedly abducted.
