Kenya finance bill: At least five dead, 31 injured as Kenyan police fire live rounds at protesters, Amnesty says

CNN
 — 

At least five people were shot dead after Kenyan police fired live rounds at demonstrators in Nairobi Tuesday as outrage swelled against a controversial finance bill that has sparked widespread protests.

A CNN team witnessed the disturbing scenes and observed two bodies lying motionless on the ground.

Kenya is in the grip of nationwide protests against proposed tax hikes, culminating in Tuesday’s “total shutdown” of the country, which quickly turned violent.

The demonstrations, sparked by the Finance Bill 2024, have seen citizens rally under the banner of “7 Days of Rage,” as the nation faces more days of upheaval.

In a statement issued by activists, lawyers, and medical professionals, it was reported that at least five people were shot dead and around 31 were injured. Of these, 13 were hit with live bullets, four with rubber bullets, and three with launcher canisters.

“Despite the assurance by the Government that the right to assembly would be protected and facilitated, today’s protests have spiraled into violence. Human rights observers and medical officers have reported several incidents of human rights violation,” a joint statement released by Amnesty International Kenya, the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and Police Reforms Working Group Kenya reported.

Kenya’s parliament was set ablaze as protesters stormed the building and the ceremonial mace was also stolen.

Kenyan lawmakers who were at the parliament building escaped through an underground channel, CNN affiliate NTV Kenya reported.

According to NTV Kenya, lawmakers were evacuated as police went up against protesters, escaping to the nearby government building of Bunge Towers.

Internet monitoring site NetBlocks reported a “major disruption” to internet connectivity Tuesday.

Nairobi’s City Hall, the office of the Governor of Nairobi, was also set on fire, live visuals from CNN affiliate Citizen TV showed.

A fire could be seen blazing through a lower-ground window, with other windows also emitting smoke. According to Citizen TV, some people were seen removing furniture, including chairs, from the building.

Vehicles parked at Kenya’s Supreme Court, which is close to the City Hall, were also set on fire.

Earlier on Tuesday, Auma Obama, the half-sister of former United States President Barack Obama, was teargassed by police during an interview with CNN live on air, while protesting against the bill.

“I can’t even see anymore, we’re being teargassed,” Obama said in dramatic footage captured by a CNN team on the ground.

Obama, a Kenyan-British activist, was speaking to CNN’s Larry Madowo alongside a group of young protesters when the group was teargassed in Nairobi.

A spokesman for former President Obama declined to comment on the tear gas incident on Tuesday.

“I’m here because look at what’s happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners,” Obama said.

President William Ruto has said he wants to have dialogue with the protesters and that he is “proud” of them. However, security forces have been accused of abducting prominent Kenyans, particularly those who have large social media followings.

Amnesty International Kenya says it is investigating the whereabouts of up to 12 people who were “abducted in the middle of night” ahead of Tuesday’s planned protests.

The list includes bloggers, content creators, human rights defenders, a doctor, and a parliamentary staffer, Amnesty Kenya executive director Irũngũ Houghton told CNN.

“We are horrified by some of the testimonies we have heard over the last 24 hours. We have about 12 people unaccounted for who have been picked up, in many cases, by people who are uniformed or not uniformed,” Houghton said, adding that that they had not received legal assistance and their families didn’t know their whereabouts.

“We are now seeing not just abductions but disappearances,” he said.
CNN has reached out to the Kenyan police for comment.

The protests come as Kenya’s standing gains global prominence as US President Joe Biden designated the country a “major non-NATO ally” on Monday, marking the first time a sub-Saharan African nation has received this status.

In May, Biden announced his decision to elevate Kenya to this designation while hosting President Ruto at the White House for a grand state visit, celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.