publish time

27/06/2024

author name Arab Times

publish time

27/06/2024

Kenya army soldiers patrol around Nairobi, Kenya on June 27. (AP)

NAIROBI, Kenya, June 27, (AP): Kenyan police on Thursday clashed with protesters in Nairobi before planned protests against a contentious finance bill, despite the president's decision not to sign it after the plans sparked deadly chaos in the capital and saw protesters storming and burning part of the parliament building.
Protesters who said last week that they would march to the State House on Thursday say they still don't trust President William Ruto, who has said the tax hikes would be withdrawn and budget cuts would be made.
Police have hurled tear gas canisters at groups of protesters attempting to congregate within the central business district. The military has been patrolling the city despite a Wednesday court order that suspended their deployment to support police during the protests.
Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday urged the young protesters to call off planned protests and give dialogue a chance.
The leaderless movement began online with young people demanding that legislators reject the proposed tax hikes. It later morphed into calls for the president's resignation after the bill was passed. On Tuesday, thousands of protesters stormed Kenya's parliament, burning parts of the building and sending lawmakers fleeing. Police opened fire and at least 22 people were reportedly killed in the chaos.
Activists were divided about the agenda of Thursday's protests. One protester, Boniface Mwangi, urged others to peacefully march to parliament road where protesters were killed to pay their respects. "Invasion of the State House isn’t a solution," he wrote on X.
But Francis Gaitho, one of the many activists mobilizing for the protests online, insisted that young people should march to the State House.