Kenya protests: President calls protests 'betrayal' after police fire live ammunition at protesters

CNN
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Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday denounced protests that saw Parliament stormed and at least five people shot dead, calling them “betrayal” – but did not address growing outrage over a finance bill controversial that sparked widespread protests.

Kenya is in the grip of nationwide protests over proposed tax increases, which culminated in a “total shutdown” of the country on Tuesday, which quickly turned violent when police used tear gas and shooting live ammunition on the demonstrators.

The controversial finance bill sparked a massive protest movement promising “7 days of rage”. Last week, the government scrapped some tax increases, including a proposed 16% value-added tax on bread as well as taxes on motor vehicles, vegetable oil and mobile money transfers . But these concessions were not enough to quell protests over the rising cost of living.

A CNN crew saw two motionless bodies on the ground in Nairobi as the country's Parliament was breached. Kenyan police were also seen beating and then arresting paramedics who were helping injured protesters.

In a nationwide speech after the burning of Parliament, Ruto said Tuesday's events posed a serious threat to “national security” and that the conversation around the bill had been “hijacked by dangerous people.”

“It is not acceptable, or even conceivable, that criminals posing as peaceful demonstrators can unleash a reign of terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established by our Constitution and hope to escape accountability,” he said. declared the president. that democratic expression and crime must be isolated from each other.

Kenya's defense ministry said the army had been deployed to support the country's police services, as human rights and civil society groups criticized the heavy-handed police response on Tuesday.

It was reported that at least five people were shot and killed and around 31 others injured during Tuesday's protests. Of these, 13 were hit by live ammunition, four by rubber bullets and three by rocket-propelled cartridges, according to a joint statement from Amnesty International Kenya, Kenya Medical Association, Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Police Reforms Task Force.

The joint statement also accuses police of shooting at an emergency medical center located at a church. CNN has contacted Kenyan police for comment.

“The use of live ammunition must now stop,” the statement said. “Despite the government's assurance that the right to assembly would be protected and facilitated, today's protests have descended into violence. Human rights observers and doctors have reported several incidents of human rights violations.

The protests, sparked by the 2024 Finance Bill, saw citizens come together under the banner of “7 Days of Rage”, as the nation faces new days of upheaval.

Dramatic scenes in the nation's capital saw government buildings torched and a ceremonial mace stolen from Parliament during the melee. Kenyan lawmakers were evacuated from Parliament as police clashed with protesters, CNN affiliate NTV Kenya reported.

Internet monitoring site NetBlocks reported a “major disruption” to internet connectivity on Tuesday.

Nairobi City Hall, the Nairobi governor's office, was also set on fire, live footage from CNN affiliate Citizen TV showed.

A fire could be seen blazing through a ground floor window, while other windows were also emitting smoke. According to Citizen TV, some people were seen removing furniture, including chairs, from the building.

Vehicles parked in front of the Supreme Court of Kenya, close to the city hall, were also set on fire.

Earlier on Tuesday, Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama, was tear-gassed by police during a live interview with CNN while protesting the bill.

“I can't even see anymore, we're being tear gassed,” Obama said in dramatic footage captured by a CNN crew on the ground. Obama, a Kenyan-British activist, was speaking on CNN alongside a group of young protesters when the group was sprayed with tear gas in Nairobi.

A spokesperson for former President Obama declined to comment Tuesday on the tear gas incident.

“I'm here because look what's happening. Young Kenyans demonstrate for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners,” Obama said.

Security forces have also been accused of kidnapping prominent Kenyans, particularly those with large social media followings. Amnesty International Kenya says it is investigating the fate of 12 people who were “abducted in the middle of the night” ahead of Tuesday's planned protests.

The list includes bloggers, content creators, human rights defenders, a doctor and a member of Parliament, Amnesty Kenya executive director Irũngũ Houghton told CNN.

“We are horrified by some of the testimonies we have heard over the past 24 hours. We have about 12 missing people who were recovered, in many cases, by people in or out of uniform,” Houghton said, adding that they had not received legal assistance and their families did not know not where they were.

“We are now seeing not only kidnappings but also disappearances,” he said.
CNN has contacted Kenyan police for comment.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called on the government to “immediately end the violence its agencies inflict on citizens.” In a statement on X, Odinga also called for the arrest of police officers suspected of shooting and killing protesters, as well as the immediate withdrawal of the country's controversial finance bill.

International leaders called for calm on Tuesday.

The United Nations secretary-general called on Kenya's police and security forces to “exercise restraint”, his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Tuesday, adding that he was “deeply concerned by the reported violence we have been witnesses”.

The African Union Commission has called on all stakeholders to refrain from further violence. A statement from the organization indicates that its president, Moussa Faki Mahamat, urges “all stakeholders to demonstrate calm and refrain from any further violence.” The President also calls on domestic stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve the contentious issues that led to the protests in the supreme interest of Kenya.

The protests come as Kenya's position gains global notoriety as US President Joe Biden on Monday designated the country a “major non-NATO ally”, marking the first time a sub-Saharan African country obtains this status.

In May, Biden announced his decision to elevate Kenya to this designation as he hosted President Ruto at the White House for a major state visit, celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

On Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan police officers also arrived in the Haitian capital to lead a multinational mission to support the Haitian National Police in the fight against deadly gangs that have taken control of much of Port-au-Prince. Prince.