- The advocates numbering no less than a dozen are heard telling officers manning the report desk “we want the OCS” in unison as they paced around the room.
- Earlier in the day, a number of protesters were arrested, bungled in waiting police vans and lorries and driven to the Central Police Station.
Image: SCREENGRAB
Lawyers seeking to bail out protesters who were arrested during 'Occupy Parliament' demonstrations stormed the Central Police Station on Tuesday and demanded audience with the OCS.
In clips circulated online, the advocates numbering no less than a dozen are heard telling officers manning the report desk “we want the OCS” in unison as they paced around the room.
Earlier in the day, police had engaged protesters in running battles in the streets of Nairobi, using teargas canisters to stop their march to Parliament Buildings.
The protesters had vowed to occupy Parliament ahead of the tabling of the contentious Finance Bill, 2024 as a show of disapproval for the raft of proposed taxes aimed at earning government extra revenue.
In the ensuing melee, a number of protesters were arrested, bungled in waiting police vans and lorries and driven to the Central Police Station.
The Law Society of Kenya condemned the arrests terming them arbitrary and vowed legal action to hold Nairobi region police boss Adamson Bungei personally liable.
LSK President Faith Odhiambo accused Bungei of unlawfully deploying his officers to interfere with the peaceful protests.
She asked Bungei to recall his officers and allow the protesters the freedom to exercise their right to picket and demonstrate failing which LSK would sue him.
"We wish to sound our unequivocal warning to Bungei and all officers acting under his command from taking any act of aggression against the protestors in the name of giving effect to the irrational directive," Odhiambo said in a statement.
“We are closely monitoring today's events and will take legal action to find Bungei and any officer who violates the rights of the protestors on account of his instructions personally liable for any breaches of the Constitution and the National Police Service Act," she added.
The government has outlined a number of ways in which it seeks to raise Sh2.92 trillion locally to finance Kenya Kwanza’s Sh3.92 trillion Budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Part of the tax proposals are contained in the Finance Bill, 2024 which was tabled on Tuesday, June 18.
Chair of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly, Kimani Kuria, told MPs the Finance Bill seeks to generate an additional Sh302 billion, which is intended to bolster the projected revenues for the year to Sh3.34 trillion.
"To enhance revenue collection, the committee proposes to reverse the commencement date in certain clauses in the Bill from September 1, 2024 to August 1, 2024. This will enhance the early collection of revenues," he said.
Ahead of the tabling of the report, Kimani informed the country that a number of contentious clauses had been dropped.
They include proposed VAT on bread, transportation of sugarcane, financial services and foreign exchange transactions, Excise duty on vegetable oil and 2.5 per cent Motor Vehicle Tax.
MPs are set to hold debate on the revised Bill on Wednesday and Thursday with voting expected on Tuesday, June 25.