At least five protesters have been shot dead by police in Kenya and a section of parliament has gone up in flames as demonstrations against new tax proposals escalate.
An angry crowd broke through police lines to storm parliament in the capital Nairobi before setting parts of it ablaze.
In an address on Tuesday evening, President William Ruto said all means would be deployed to “thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country”.
He has deployed the military to quell the protests.
Footage from multiple Kenyan media outlets also showed people battling a fire at City Hall, the office of the Nairobi county governor.
The Kenya Medical Association said that police shot dead at least five people, with hundreds more reported injured.
A BBC reporter saw bodies lying in the street.
Police have not yet commented on casualty figures.
“Such actions are unacceptable and constitute a grave violation of human rights,” the Kenya Human Rights Commission said.
But President Ruto pledged a tough response to the “violence and anarchy”.
“It is not in order or even conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established under our constitution and expect to go scot-free,” Mr Ruto added.
Police deployed to protect key government buildings including parliament were overwhelmed by protesters.
Hundreds of MPs were unable to leave and reportedly took cover in the basement as protesters stormed the building before being evacuated via underground tunnels.
A cathedral in Nairobi, which doctors were using as a medical camp received streams of injured demonstrators.
However, the operation was shut down by the military. A BBC reporter witnessed doctors being forced out of the building by soldiers.
Outside the emergency unit at Kenyatta National Hospital, staff set up a temporary unit to receive more casualties.
As a result of the protests, many businesses across the country have been forced to close and transport systems have been paralysed.
Protesters have been demanding the government withdraw a controversial finance bill which includes unpopular tax proposals.
The government has rowed back on some of the most contentious proposals, but passed an amended bill on Tuesday.
“There are some things that are hard to understand, like how can you impose 16% tax on bread? How can you tax sanitary pads?” 24-year-old Derrick Mwathu told the BBC, referring to some of the proposals contained in the original bill.
23-year-old protester Maureen Awuor said: “Our voice must be heard… We are the generation that is coming up, so they need to hear us.”
Ahead of the demonstrations, lawyers and human rights groups expressed concern about arbitrary arrests and the intimidation of activists.
Their concerns followed reports that at least five prominent social media users were abducted at dawn on Tuesday, hours before the demonstrations.
The protests have made headlines across Africa and other parts of the world.
Two of Africa’s leading anti-establishment figures, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine and radical South African politician Julius Malema, have both expressed their support for the protesters.
Western countries have expressed concern at the violence and urged calm.
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David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
