Amid heavy police presence, Kenya begins clearing rubble after protests that left at least 6 dead

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyans woke up Wednesday to the pungent smell of tear gas lingering in the capital, a day after protesters stormed Parliament amid violent protests over a controversial tax plan over in which at least six people were killed.

At the start of the day, no violence was reported. Police and soldiers patrolled the streets as city workers began cleaning up debris. Parliament, City Hall and the Supreme Court were cordoned off with a recording reading “Do not enter the scene of the crime”.

The army was deployed overnight to support the police as President William Ruto called the events a betrayal and vowed to quell the unrest “at all costs”.

Kenya has been rocked for more than a week by massive protests against a finance bill that would raise taxes, as frustrations over the cost of living simmer. Many young people who helped elect Ruto to power by applauding his promises of economic aid have taken to the streets to oppose the suffering reforms.

Thousands of protesters stormed Kenya's Parliament on Tuesday, setting parts of the building on fire as lawmakers fled. Police responded with gunfire and several protesters were killed. The city morgue told The Associated Press it received six bodies from police on Tuesday.

Authorities said police fired more than 700 blank rounds to disperse protesters in the Githurai suburb, east of the capital Nairobi. Videos of gunshots piercing the night air were shared online.

More than 100 people were injured during Tuesday's protests, according to civil society groups. It is still unclear how many people were arrested.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was deeply saddened by reports of deaths and injuries.

“I call on the Kenyan authorities to exercise restraint and call for all protests to proceed peacefully,” he wrote on social media platform X.

In Nairobi, a regional hub for expatriates and home to a United Nations complex, inequality among Kenyans has grown alongside long-standing frustrations with state corruption.

Opposition to the finance bill has united much of the country, with some explicitly rejecting the tribal divisions that have torn Kenya apart in the past. Some of those who had passionately supported Ruto felt betrayed.

A Kenyan newspaper, the Daily Nation, called for dialogue. “Let us reason together,” read the headline.

Citizen TV, a local broadcaster, led a discussion titled “A Nation on the Brink” with panelists calling on the government to engage with the public.