NAIROBI, Kenya, June 25 – The Kenyan military was deployed Tuesday following escalating violence that left at least four protesters dead and numerous others injured after the controversial Finance Bill was passed, raising taxes.

Protests erupted into chaos as police attempted to disperse rioters who stormed Parliament with live bullets and tear gas shortly after the bill's approval. Many protesters sustained serious bullet wounds.

Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale authorised the military deployment through a Gazette Notice, citing the police's inability to control the situation, especially in Nairobi. Duale stated, "The Kenya Defence Forces is deployed on June 25, 2024, in support of the National Police Service in response to the security emergency caused by ongoing violent protests, resulting in the destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure."

Critical infrastructure affected included the Supreme Court and City Hall, the Nairobi County Headquarters, which were also set ablaze by protesters.

President William Ruto was scheduled to address the nation at 9 pm, according to State House Press Secretary Emmanuel Talam.

Witnesses reported seeing four bodies of protesters shot dead, lying in pools of blood outside Parliament. Ambulances rushed more than 10 people to hospitals, while others writhed in pain on the ground. Protesters and police engaged in running battles throughout the day, with security officers firing rubber bullets and tear gas.

The unrest extended beyond Nairobi, with similar violence reported in about 30 of Kenya’s 47 counties. Businesses shut down and transportation was paralyzed in the capital as the youth-led protests demanded MPs reject the proposed tax increases. The government defended the new taxes as essential for funding spending programs and reducing debt but had already scrapped some contentious taxes on bread, cooking oil, and motor vehicle ownership in response to public outcry.

Earlier reports described police officers preparing to fire rubber bullets at protesters. Key government installations, including Parliament, were under heavy police protection.

International support for the protests came from Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine and South Africa’s Julius Malema. Concerns about arbitrary arrests and the intimidation of activists were raised by lawyers and human rights groups, with reports of at least five prominent social media users being abducted hours before the demonstrations.

Despite the protests, a majority of MPs passed the Finance Bill during its second reading, debating amendments to remove some contentious clauses.

President Ruto acknowledged the protests, promising to hold talks to address the concerns of the youth leading the demonstrations. Last week's protests, though largely peaceful, resulted in two deaths and hundreds of injuries.

UncleSnr:


https://mediatalkafrica.com/169684/kenya-deploys-military-as-finance-bill-protests-turn-deadly-four-killed/?amp=1

denij:
can Africa ever be healed from evil leadership System caused by greed and selfishness ?

Mynd44:
Africans have to understand the difference between a protest and a riot.

When people storm parliamentary to beat up people, attempt to burn down the supreme court too.

it stopped being a protest and no matter how justified the protest us, the government will respond.

Mynd44:
Africans have to understand the difference between a protest and a riot.
When people storm parliamentary to beat up people, attempt to burn down the supreme court too.
it stopped being a protest and no matter how justified the protest us, the government will respond.

denij:
can Africa ever be healed from evil leadership System caused by greed and selfishness ?

Mynd44:
Africans have to understand the difference between a protest and a riot.

When people storm parliamentary to beat up people, attempt to burn down the supreme court too.

it stopped being a protest and no matter how justified the protest us, the government will respond.

Quest7777:
Nigerians can never unite in anything including to protest.

Why? Because ONE NIGERIA is a Scam.

Why? Because Nigerians owe more allegiance to Ethnicity than to Nationality.

Why? Because Nigeria is not a Nation but a forced Geographical Contraption of diverse ethnic Nationalities that are not ready to unite and function as one.

ONE NIGERIA remains is a Scam. Nobody including President Tinubu believes in One Nigeria.
Everybody is just out to grab from the centre and to satisfy his selfish or sectional interest.

Mynd44:
Africans have to understand the difference between a protest and a riot.

When people storm parliamentary to beat up people, attempt to burn down the supreme court too.

it stopped being a protest and no matter how justified the protest us, the government will respond.

Chetas81:
ONLY THE NIGERIAN CITIZENS FEAR THE GOVERNMENT DEATHS, NOBODY WANT TO DIE, BUT SUFFERING

Quest7777:
Nigerians can never unite in anything including to protest.
Why? Because ONE NIGERIA is a Scam.
Why? Because Nigerians owe more allegiance to Ethnicity than to Nationality.
Why? Because Nigeria is not a Nation but a forced Geographical Contraption of diverse ethnic Nationalities that are not ready to unite and function as one.
ONE NIGERIA remains is a Scam. Nobody including President Tinubu believes in One Nigeria.
Everybody is just out to grab from the centre and to satisfy his selfish or sectional interest.

Kobojunkie:
When it comes to Africa, protests generally don't work at all. So, prescribing protests for Nigeria would solve anything. What I would recommend is instead a move by individual voters to correct the problem through the use of the very same law that the looters once used to rig themselves into power against them. Nigerians can demand these criminal elements be recalled and this can be done from right within their homes... no gathering to protest necessary.

The Kenyan kids plan to do exactly that soon, and Nigerians can do so too.

Chetas81:
what about those Nigerian citizen, who love to be slaves to the politicians, this are problem, what you mentioned is what they do in uk

Kobojunkie:
thr requirement is to gather signatures from at least half+1 of the voters in your specific electoral area. And yes, it is what people in parliamentary and Democratic communities do, their civic duty. You don't simply say, "oh, he rigged himself into office so it is over," No! You can cast a vote or no confidence to have them recalled in that case, something Nigerians ought to be doing a lot of but haven't been doing any of.