Death toll rises to 22 after Kenyan protesters storm parliament over planned tax hikes

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyans were exposed to the lingering smell of tear gas and military in the streets on Wednesday, a day after protesters stormed the parliament about a tax plan that increase the cost of living – an act of resistance that President William Ruto described as an “existential” threat. At least 22 people were killed, a human rights group said.

The capital Nairobi has seen protests in the past, but activists and others warned that the operations were even more dangerous following the largest attack on Kenya’s government in decades. Ruto called the events a “betrayal” and vowed to quell the unrest “at all costs.” Soldiers patrolled alongside police, who are accused of shooting dead several people on Tuesday.

More protests are expected as Kenyans unite across tribal and other divisions in a youth-led struggle to prevent the Finance Bill from becoming law. It would increase taxes and fees on a range of everyday items and services, from egg imports to bank transfers, adding to the hardship of the majority of the country’s population struggling to survive. The government is determined to raise revenue to pay off the debts of the East African economic hub.

There were no reports of violence on Wednesday, but fear prevailed. Civil society groups have reported abductions of people involved in recent protests and expect more abductions.

“We are dealing with a new phenomenon and a group of people that is unpredictable. If these were the normal demonstrations, I would say they would fizzle out over time, but we don’t know if these people will be afraid of the army,” said Herman Manyora, an analyst and professor at the University of Nairobi.

He said the Kenyan president missed an opportunity to defuse tensions and adopt a more conciliatory approach in his address to the nation on Tuesday night.

“We expected him to recognise the seriousness of the situation and show compassion for the young people,” Manyora said. “Instead, people saw an angry president who was reading the riot act to the nation.”

Many young people who voted Ruto into power cheering on his promises of economic relief are now protesting against the painful reforms. Thousands stormed Parliament on Tuesday, burning down part of the building. Clashes broke out in several communities outside the capital.

At least 22 people were killed, the Kenyan Human Rights Commission said. The chair of the commission, Roseline Odede, told journalists that 300 others were injured and 50 people were arrested.

The mother of a slain teenager, Edith Wanjiku, told reporters at a morgue that the police officer who shot her son should be arrested and charged with murder because her 19-year-old son was unarmed.

“He had just graduated from school and was protesting peacefully,” she said.

Parliament, City Hall and the Supreme Court were cordoned off on Wednesday with tapes saying “Do not enter crime scene.” Authorities said police fired more than 700 blank cartridges to disperse protesters in the Nairobi suburb of Githurai overnight. Videos of the shooting were shared online.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga condemned the killing of protesters and the “brute force” of the authorities and called for dialogue. He claimed that Kenya’s constitution had been suspended.

“Kenya cannot afford to kill its children just because they ask for food, work and a listening ear,” Odinga said in a statement.

In Nairobi, a regional hub for expatriates and home to a UN complex, inequality among Kenyans has deepened, as has long-standing frustration with corruption in the state. A booming young population is also frustrated with the lavish lifestyles of politicians, including the president. Some who had fervently supported Ruto, who won the presidency by portraying himself as a “crook” from a humble background, feel betrayed.

The youth, commonly referred to as Generation Z, mobilized the protests and tried to stop lawmakers from passing the finance bill on Tuesday. Ruto now has two weeks to sign the bill and sign it into law.

For Ruto, the events represent a turning point, with the US welcoming Ruto as a welcome partner in Africa at a time when frustration with the US and some other Western powers is growing elsewhere on the continent.

In May, Ruto travelled to Washington for the first state visit by an African leader in 16 years. On Tuesday, as protests escalated, the US designated Kenya as its first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a largely symbolic move but one that highlighted their strong security partnership. Also on Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan police were deployed to lead a multinational force against gangs in Haiti, an initiative for which US President Joe Biden expressed gratitude.

Now Kenya’s president and his government – as well as the protesters – are facing calls for calm and pressure from their partners, including the United States, which joined a dozen other countries on Tuesday in expressing “deep concern” about the violence and kidnappings.

“Let us think sensibly together,” said the front page of the Daily Nation.

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Associated Press journalist Brian Inganga in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed.