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Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the parliament in Nairobi being stormed by protesters, which saw 60 people killed and many disappearing
Last year’s demonstrations, in which 60 people died and many more disappeared, were prompted by proposed tax increases.
The Kenyan government’s 2024 finance bill proposed a $2.7bn tax increase which included hikes on sanitary towels, digital content, car ownership, and basics like oil and bread, in a country already grappling with a particularly painful cost of living crisis.
Thousands of protesters have taken to Kenya’s streets to mark a year since people stormed parliament at the peak of anti-government demonstrations, despite fears that they would be met by state-backed gangs and police violence.
Kenyans have planned to march across the country today to honour those who were killed during last year’s protests. The demonstrations last year saw at least 60 people being killed and many more disappearing.
Early on Wednesday, police blocked major roads leading into the capitals central business district, while government buildings were barricaded with razor wire.
The protests last year came as a response to a series of proposed tax increases which included hikes on sanitary towels, digital content, car ownership, and basics like oil and bread while many in the country were already grappling with a cost of living crisis.
President William Ruto scrapped the bill in response to the backlash and restructured his cabinet to include opposition figures. However, deep resentment against the president has continued to rise and public anger over the use of force by security agencies has not abated.
