More than a dozen killed in Kenya protests over tax hike proposals

At least 13 people were killed in protests on Tuesday in Kenya after police opened fire on protesters demonstrating against proposals on tax hikes aimed at reducing government debt. The youth-led rallies that started peacefully last week took a violent turn after crowds stormed and burned down parts of the country's parliament building.

The death toll from protests in Kenya has climbed to 13, an official from the main doctors' association told AFP Wednesday, after anti-tax hike rallies turned violent and police opened fire at demonstrators who ransacked parliament.

The unprecedented scenes that left parts of parliament ablaze and gutted and injured scores of people on Tuesday have shocked Kenyans and prompted President William Ruto's government to deploy the military.

The mainly youth-led rallies began mostly peacefully last week, with thousands of demonstrators marching in the capital Nairobi and across the country against the tax increases.

But tensions flared sharply on Tuesday afternoon, as police officers fired live rounds on crowds that later ransacked the parliament complex.

Hours later, Defence Minister Aden Bare Duale announced that the government had deployed the army to support the police in tackling "the security emergency" in the country.

"It was madness, we hope it will be calm today," he said.

(AFP)


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