By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Police in Kenya on Tuesday dispersed hundreds of demonstrators who were protesting against a proposed finance bill with teargas in capital, Nairobi.
The protesters alleged that the new proposed legislation if passed by the parliament, would hike taxes on fuel and housing.
President William Ruto, who won elections last year with the campaign rhetoric of helping the poor, is under pressure to raise revenues in the East African country battling rising government debt repayments.
His proposals in recent times have attracted heavy criticism from civil servants and opposition, accusing him of inflicting more hardship on the people already dealing with high cost of living.
Police fired tear gas to disperse about 500 protesters who marched to parliament to present a petition against the bill, Reuters reported, citing a witness.
Eleven protesters were seen being detained by police.
In downtown Nairobi, plain-clothed police officers were seen carrying an activist who held a placard that read: “Colonialism never really ended.”
Ruto has defended the bill, saying its provisions are needed to ensure financial stability and create jobs for young people by building new houses financed through a housing levy.
The legislation, which would also hike taxes on digital content, is expected to be voted on next week.
The opposition Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) party, which has since March led protests against the government over the high cost of living and alleged fraud in last year’s election, has said the bill would take the country back to 1980s, when the economy started to deteriorate.
