Kenya was on Tuesday engulfed in chaos and bloodshed as police battled protesters in major towns across the country, leaving dozens dead and property worth millions destroyed.
Demonstrators occupied streets in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nyeri, Kericho and several other towns paralyzing transport and businesses.
In Nairobi, the number of peaceful protesters in the Central Business District swelled steadily since morning triggering the anti-riot police to occasionally use tear gas to disperse them.
Protests that started as demonstrations by groups of young people known as Generation Z, took a dramatic twist moments after MPs voted to approve the Finance Bill, 2024.
The Gen Zs had vowed to stage massive protests across the country in protest against the Finance Bill, 2024.
Police had managed to earlier block protesters from accessing the Nairobi Central Business District(CBD) by mounting barricades along major highways including Thika Road, Mombasa Road and Waiayaki Way.
Engaging police in running battles, protesters managed to overpower the police and accessed the CBD, pushing their way to the Parliament Building through City Hall Way.
There was a standoff at the Supreme Court when protesters advanced further to Parliament Road after outnumbering police officers despite gunfire and teargas.
All this time, MPs were considering the Finance Bill, 2024 through the Committee of the Whole and finally passing the Bill through the Third Reading moments after 2 pm.
At this point, opposition MPs who were protesting against the Bill walked outside Parliament and tried to address protesters amid a standoff with security officers.
It was at this point that police reportedly fired live ammunition at the protesters, killing at least five people as protesters overran the security protocols and set some police cars ablaze.
Amid live ammunition, protesters pushed their way into Parliament Buildings and finally into the house, leaving a trail of destruction.
Sirens blared as ambulances drove into Parliament amid fears of the shooting of several protesters.
There were reports that Senate Speaker Amason Kingi had been evacuated by an ambulance as protesters set a section of the building on fire.
Windows were broken, tables and chairs overturned as protestors stormed inside parliament as MPs were evacuated to the new Bunge Towers through the underground tunnel.
In Nakuru, protests began at the Railways Police Station where those taking part in the march maintained that their mass action is peaceful.
A day of chaos and bloodshed
Kenya was on Tuesday engulfed in chaos and bloodshed as police battled protesters in major towns across the country, leaving dozens dead and property worth millions destroyed.
Demonstrators occupied streets in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu Kakamega, Nyeri, Kericho and several other towns paralyzing transport and businesses.
In Nairobi, the number of peaceful protesters in the Central Business District swollen steadily since morning triggering the anti-riot police to occasionally use tear gas to disperse them.
Pretests that started as demonstrations by groups of young people known as Generation Z, took a dramatic twist moments after MPs voted to approve the Finance Bill, 2024.
The Gen Zs had vowed to stage massive protests across the country in protest against the Finance Bill, 2024.
Police had managed to earlier block protesters from accessing the Nairobi Central Business District(CBD) by mounting barricades along major highways including Thika Road, Mombasa Road and Waiayaki Way.
Engaging police in running battles, protesters managed to overpower the police and accessed the CBD, pushing their way to the Parliament Building through City Hall Way.
There was a standoff at the Supreme Court when protesters advanced further to Parliament Road after outnumbering police officers despite gunfire and teargas.
All this time, MPs were considering the Finance Bill, 2024 through the Committee of the Whole and finally passing the Bill through Third Reading moments after 2 pm.
At this point, opposition MPs who were protesting against the Bill walked outside Parliament and tried to address protesters amid a standoff with security officers.
It was at this point that Police fired live ammunition at the protesters, killing at least five people as protesters overran the security protocols and setting some police cars ablaze.
Amid live ammunition, protesters pushed their way into Parliament Buildings and finally into the house, leaving a trail of destruction.
Sirens blared as ambulances drove into Parliament amid fears of the shooting of several protesters.
There were reports that some officers had been evacuated by an ambulance as protesters set a section of the building on fire.
Windows were broken, tables and chairs overturned as protestors stormed inside parliament as MPs were evacuated to the new Bunge Towers through the underground tunnel.
In Nakuru, protests began at the Railways Police Station where those taking part in the march maintained that their mass action is peaceful.
One of their placards read, “Peace Demo: Don’t harm our kids” in a seeming reference to last week’s protest where 29-year-old Rex Masai died from a gunshot wound.
The group first gathered at Nakuru Railways Station, the heart of the City, before they marched to the central business district to protest.
The groups were carrying placards and twigs which they waved as they thronged the Kenyatta Avenue chanting ant-Finance Bill protests.
In Eldoret, young people on boda bodas and on foot crisscrossed the town streets while speaking out against recent disappearances of influential people associated with the protests.
Protesters stormed, vandalized and looted a club in Eldoret associated with Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi.
The club known as Timber XO is located along the Eldoret, Nairobi road.
The club was officially opened a few weeks ago during a ceremony attended by Sudi and several other MPs.
There were also protests in Nyeri where anti-Finance Bill protesters held peaceful demonstrations calling for the rejection of the Finance Bill.
There was relative calmness in Kisii as the anti-riot police deployed to maintain public order converged at Central Police.
One of their placards read, “Peace Demo: Don’t harm our kids” in a seeming reference to last week’s protest where 29-year-old Rex Masai died from a gunshot wound.
In Eldoret, young people on boda bodas and on foot crisscrossed the town streets while speaking out against recent disappearances of influential people associated with the protests.
There were also protests in Nyeri where anti-Finance Bill protesters held peaceful demonstrations calling for the rejection of the Finance Bill.
There was relative calmness in Kisii as the anti-riot police deployed to maintain public order converged at Central Police.
Moments earlier, MPs had voted to approve the Finance Bill, 2024 that the argued imposes a wave of taxes.
This is was the first time in the history of Kenya that protesters have broken barriers and accessed inside Parliament despite heavy security.
Previously, police had managed to block protesters from gaining access to Parliament and always cordoned off the protection.
Opposition leaders had in the past held protests but police succeeded in blocking them from accessing Parliament.
Parliament is a gazetted area, meaning that it is one of the most highly protected and guarded institutions after the State House.
The protected status gives security officers more mandate to do all they can to avoid any intrusion into the legislature.
MPs had voted 195 to 106 to pass the Finance Bill, 2024, paving the way for President William Ruto to assent to it into law.