Bodies are seen in the roads as Kenyan police shoot real-time rounds into protesters
Kenyan officers fired live shots on protesters in Nairobi Tuesday after outrage grew over a controversial finance law which has led to large-scale protests.
By Larry Madowo, Stephanie Busari
Jun 25, 2024 01:13 PM
CNN —
Kenyan security forces fired live bullets on protesters in Nairobi Tuesday after outrage grew against a controversial finance law that has provoked massive protests.
A CNN team was present at the shocking images and witnessed the bodies of two people lying in motion on ground. The mace used for ceremonial purposes was taken from the Kenyan parliament as protesters attacked the parliament during protests against tax that turned violent.
The mace, according to the description on the Kenyan government web site “is a highly ornamented staff of metal, wood or other materials, carried by a Mace-bearer or placed before a sovereign or other high officials; in civic ceremonies or before a revered gathering to symbolize authority.”
Kenyan lawmakers at the Parliament building were able to escape through an underground channel CNN subsidiary NTV Kenya reported.
In the report by NTV Kenya, lawmakers were evacuated after police fought against protesters, and then fled to the nearby government building Bunge Towers.
On Tuesday, Auma Obama, the half-sister of the former United States President Barack Obama was subjected to teargas from the police in an interview on CNN in live broadcast in protest against the legislation.
“I can’t even see anymore, we’re being teargassed,” Obama stated in shocking footage filmed by the CNN team that was on the ground.
Obama the Kenyan-British politician was speaking with the CNN’s Larry Madowo alongside a group of young protesters, when the group was pelted with teargas in Nairobi.
Kenya is currently in the midst of widespread protests against tax hikes proposed which will culminate in a planned “total shutdown” of the nation.
The protests, which were triggered in the wake of Finance Bill 2024, have witnessed people rally in support of “7 Days of Rage,” as the country faces new days of unrest.
“I’m here because I want to observe the events taking place. Young Kenyans are protesting to defend their rights. They are protesting using banners and flags,” Obama said.
The President William Ruto has said he is willing to dialogue with protesters, and Ruto believes he is “proud” of them. But security forces are accused of abducting notable Kenyans especially those with large social media followers.
Amnesty International Kenya says it is investigating the location of up to 12 persons that have been “abducted in the middle of night” in advance of the planned protests on Tuesday.
The list includes content creators, bloggers as well as human rights defenders doctors and a member of the Parliamentary staff, Amnesty Kenya executive director Irungu Houghton said on CNN.
“We are shocked by a few of the stories we’ve received in the last 24 hours. We have around 12 missing people who were rescued in a number of cases by individuals who are uniformed or not,” Houghton said, saying the people had not received legal aid, and that their families were unaware of their location.
“We are now seeing not just abductions but disappearances,” the official said.
CNN has been in contact with Kenya’s police Kenyan police for comments.
The protests occur when Kenya’s position gains international recognition because US the president Joe Biden designated the country as a “major non-NATO ally” on Monday it was the first time that a sub-Saharan African country has been granted this designation.
This past May, Biden declared his intention to raise Kenya to this status when he hosted the president Ruto in the White House for a grand state visit to mark 60 years of friendship between these two countries.
CNN’s Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.
