Police in Nairobi, Kenya, used live ammunition against demonstrators protesting against the government on Tuesday.
The protesters were demanding that lawmakers reject new taxes proposed in a controversial finance bill. Last week, two people died during protests, but there were no immediate reports of casualties on Tuesday.
Medics established temporary emergency response shelters in various cities with supplies donated by Kenyans. The third round of protests coincided with the parliamentary vote on the finance bill, which includes new taxes such as an eco-levy that would increase the prices of essential goods.
Although a proposal to tax bread was withdrawn due to public outcry, protesters are still urging Parliament not to pass the bill. The Kenya Human Rights Commission released a video showing officers firing at protesters and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
In a message to President William Ruto, the commission criticized the government’s actions as undemocratic. The President of the Kenya Law Society, Faith Odhiambo, reported that 50 Kenyans, including her personal assistant, had been “abducted” by individuals believed to be police officers.
She highlighted cases of extrajudicial killings, police abductions, torture, and prolonged detention without communication.
Civil society groups noted that some of the missing individuals were prominent figures in the protests and were forcibly taken from their homes, workplaces, and public areas ahead of Tuesday’s demonstrations.
