Police fire tear gas, water cannon at anti-tax protesters in Nairobi
Riot police in Nairobi fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of demonstrators on Thursday as coordinated marches took place across Kenya against government plans to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes.
Late into the protest on Thursday, officers fired tear gas to disperse protesters who were marching on a road near State House, President William Ruto's office and official residence, Reuters reported.
Earlier, police had sprayed people with purple-coloured water from water cannon, as they sought to clear protesters in Nairobi's central business district and blocked their path to parliament. The demonstration had appeared peaceful.
The Kenya Red Cross said on X it had attended to 39 injured people from the protests, of whom eight were in a critical condition.
Police Inspector General Japhet Koome said in a statement they would not allow anyone to disrupt parliament's proceedings, or occupy critical government infrastructure.
Protesters say the tax rises, aimed at reducing the budget deficit, will hurt the economy and raise the cost of living for Kenyans who are already struggling to make ends meet.
The government has ceded some ground due to public outcry on its planned tax measures.
A parliamentary panel recommended on Tuesday that the government scrap some new taxes proposed in its finance bill, including new ones on car ownership, bread, cooking oil and financial transactions.
The panel also recommended that a fuel tax towards road maintenance be increased.
President Ruto was elected almost two years ago on a platform to help Kenya's working poor, but has faced repeated anti-tax protests. He has defended the tax increases, saying the government needs to reduce its reliance on borrowing.
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