Africa

Kenya protesters shot as they near parliament

today25 June, 2024

Background

Anti-tax protesters in the Kenyan capital Nairobi have pushed their way into the complex where the parliament sits. Local TV has been showing images of a police truck on fire nearby. There have been reports of people being wounded as police fired rounds to disperse the crowds. A human rights organisation said it had witnessed four protesters being shot, and said that one person had been killed. This has not been confirmed.

Five people were shot dead and dozens wounded in Kenya on Tuesday in mounting anti-tax hike protests, NGOs said, after police clashed with demonstrators who stormed the parliament compound in Nairobi.

The military has been deployed to support police, who earlier fired tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets and — according to a rights group — live ammunition against protesters, as tensions sharply escalated in protests that have caught the government off guard.

Written by: Tonata Kadhila