Local media reported that an unidentified man died from a gunshot wound to the thigh during the riot police crackdown in Nairobi.
At least 200 people were injured and more than 100 arrested across Kenya in nationwide protests against government plans to increase taxes, human rights groups said.
Five groups, including Amnesty International, said in a joint statement on Thursday night that at least 105 protesters were detained in a violent crackdown by riot police that included the use of tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets.
In the capital, Nairobi, at least 200 people were injured, with groups reporting “soft tissue injuries and tear gas inhalation”, with six “run over by cars while fleeing from police officers” and five victims of rubber bullets.
Spent cartridges at the scene implied the use of live cartridges, they said.
Local media reported that an unidentified person died at Bliss Medical Center in Nairobi from a gunshot wound to the thigh sustained during the protest. The details matched a police report that said a 29-year-old man died while being treated for a thigh wound at the same hospital on Thursday night.
“We continue to call on the National Police Service to desist from the excessive use of force, intimidation and arbitrary and illegal detentions of Kenyans,” said the groups, which also included the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, the Defenders Coalition and the Independent Legal Medical Unit.
Protests against the budget proposals, which aim to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes, widened Thursday in 19 of Kenya’s 47 counties. Nairobi’s central business district was paralyzed as riot police on horseback threw tear gas canisters and opened water cannons at protesters.
Protesters, who began their demonstrations on Tuesday, are demanding that lawmakers vote against the legislation, which is expected to be onerous for Kenyan wage earners, business owners and consumers. They say President William Ruto’s administration has gone back on its promise to reduce taxes and lower the cost of living.
The new taxes would include a 2.75 percent tax on income from the national medical insurance plan, as well as an increase in taxes on vegetable oils and fuels, which would increase the cost of production and reach the consumer.
Proposals to introduce a 16 percent value added tax on bread and a new annual tax on motor vehicles were withdrawn from legislation on Tuesday following a meeting between Ruto and members of the ruling party.
But those who spoke out Thursday said the changes didn’t go far enough and they want lawmakers to reject the budget legislation entirely.
Despite protests, parliamentarians approved the finance bill in second reading on Thursday. There will be a third and final reading of the contentious measure next week. The final version should be released before June 30th.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
