A crowd of protesters stormed Parliament in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, at the height of protests against the new finance law that will impose new taxes, approved today, June 25.
While part of the building was engulfed in flames, images published by local broadcasters showed the MPs running away and the police responding with smoke bombs and guns. There have been 10 confirmed deaths so far, as well as many injured, including Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama.
Millions of Kenyans are marching towards Kenya’s capital Nairobi 🇰🇪 for one of the largest protests ever witnessed worldwide.
They are calling for the resignation of Kenyan president William Ruto.
Your comments on this subject… #RejectFinanceBill2o24… pic.twitter.com/nVrcn26POl
— Africa Archives™ (@Africa_Archives) June 25, 2024
Nairobi city hall and the headquarters of President William Ruto’s Uda (United Democratic Alliance) party were also set on fire, local newspaper Daily Nation reported. “We want to close down parliament and every MP should resign,” one protester said, according to Reuters. “We will form a new government.”
Thousands of young people had recently gathered to protest Ruto’s economic policies, and on June 24 the president said he was ready for dialogue: “We will have a meeting with you to identify your problems and work together as a nation,” he added, making his first public comment on the protests. A few hours later, the protests turned into a wave of violence.
Obama’s sister: ‘I can’t see anything anymore, they’re throwing tear gas at us’
Among the protesters shot by police was Auma Obama, the former US president’s half-sister. “I can’t see anything anymore, they are throwing tear gas at us,” he said live on CNN.
Vielen Dank @AumaObama for representing!
Auma Obama is also a Kenyan diaspora living in both Kenya and Germany!
Kenyan demonstrators also showed up in Berlin! #RejectFinanceBill2024! https://t.co/bVBv22UDkA
— Mudge Rulf (@MudgeRulf) June 25, 2024
According to the news of Kenyan broadcaster NTV, while the MPs were leaving the building through an underground tunnel, the police attacked the demonstrators. “I’m here because look what’s happening, young people in Kenya are demonstrating for their rights,” said Auma, a 64-year-old journalist and activist who holds dual Kenyan and British citizenship.
— Auma Obama (@AumaObama) June 25, 2024
Amnesty International reported that 12 people, including bloggers and human rights activists, had disappeared, allegedly “kidnapped in the middle of the night” by the police before today’s protests. A few weeks ago, President Ruto was welcomed in Washington and during the visit Joe Biden announced Kenya’s status as a “major non-NATO ally”; This status came into force just yesterday, on June 24.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
