Kenyan police clashed with anti-tax protesters in the capital, Nairobi, as demonstrations spread across the country, including the president’s hometown of Eldoret.
Riot police, some on horseback, fired tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters on the streets of Nairobi.
There were similar protests in other cities and major cities across the country – including Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and Nyeri.
There is palpable anger among many Kenyans over a controversial finance bill that introduced a series of unpopular tax proposals.
How the protests began on TuesdayPublic outcry forced the government to withdraw some of the controversial provisions, including a 16% tax on bread and a 2.5% annual tax on vehicles.
But protesters say this is not enough and have demanded that lawmakers, who are currently debating the bill in parliament, reject the entire bill.
“I dropped out of college because my parents couldn’t pay for my studies. I’m in a hurry to get back and now you want to take what little I earn and make me not even buy pads? Aristaricus Irolo, 26, told the BBC in the capital, while holding a block, that it is among the items affected by the proposed tax rises.
Mumbi Muturi, 56, said she came to support her daughter and niece, both 25, who were protesting.
“Us [her generation] we don’t go out to protest when we should. I’m not worried about these. They are securing their future. I’m here to support them,” she said.
Unlike what happened in the past, the current protests are led by young people and not politicians and have been mostly peaceful.
There have been intense appeals on social media using the hashtags #OccupyParliament and #RejectFinanceBill2024, urging Kenyans to maintain vigil as members of parliament debate the bill.
It also involved young professionals, including doctors and lawyers, providing services to protesters.
“My younger Gen Z colleagues here getting ready to be dispatched to assist any protesters needing medical attention in Nairobi,” Mercy Korir, a doctor, posted on X, formerly Twitter.
In Ruto’s home area of Eldoret, hundreds of protesters brought the city to a standstill as they marched through the streets, some waving signs.
There were protests in some other cities across the country – with the outrage caused by the additional taxes uniting many Kenyans beyond their ethnicity and party.
In the central town of Nyeri, protesters chanted: “Ruto must go! and “Everything is possible without Ruto”.
“We are tired,” said other protesters in the western city of Kisii.
Since becoming president in 2022, Ruto has introduced several new and unpopular taxes, which critics say stifle economic growth and lead to job losses.
The government has frequently defended the fiscal measures as necessary to reduce the country’s national debt of almost $80 billion (£63 billion).
On Wednesday, the president said the protests were a democratic right, but said they would not undermine the government’s decision-making process.
Lawyers and rights groups have condemned police for using excessive force against peaceful protesters, with hundreds of people detained earlier this week.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International jointly said on Thursday that they had sent observers across the country, warning against the use of such force.
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