NAIROBI, Kenya, June 25 – Protestors have set City Hall, home to the Nairobi City County offices, ablaze amid escalating Anti-Finance Bill demonstrations across the country.
A video circulating online shows flames engulfing the entrance of City Hall as police attempt to extinguish the fire using water trucks.
Unverified reports indicate that the Nairobi City County Assembly has also been raided, with the cash office reportedly set on fire.
“Nairobi City County Assembly raided. Things destroyed,” posted Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly Robert Alai on social media.
Earlier in the day, protestors breached a police cordon at Parliament and stormed the Senate floor, destroying property to express their outrage over the passage of the controversial Finance Bill.
Driven by widespread discontent over the 2024/2025 Finance Bill, the demonstrations saw a massive turnout, particularly among Kenya’s Gen-Z population. Youthful crowds voiced their frustrations over what they see as oppressive taxation measures proposed in the new bill.
The Finance Bill 2024/2025 has been contentious since its introduction, proposing several new taxes aimed at increasing government revenue. Critics argue that the bill disproportionately affects the lower and middle classes, who are already struggling with the high cost of living.
The protests have spread to several towns across the country, reflecting the growing dissatisfaction with the government’s fiscal policies. At least four protesters were shot dead Tuesday as police struggled to disperse rioters who stormed Parliament after the passage of the controversial Finance Bill.
The chaotic scenes were marked by live bullets and tear gas moments after Members of Parliament approved the bill. Several protesters sustained serious bullet wounds during the violent confrontations.
“I have seen four bodies of the protesters who were shot dead,” reported a witness. “They are lying in a pool of blood outside Parliament.”
Journalists covering the youth-led protests counted more than 10 people being rushed to hospitals by ambulances, while others remained on the ground, writhing in pain. “People have been shot, it is very bad,” one protester yelled while fleeing from a thick cloud of tear gas.
In the chaos, a section of Parliament and a truck parked outside the fence were set ablaze. “We have never seen this before, God save Kenya,” an elderly man screamed while running.
Thousands of protesters have been engaged in running battles with the police since morning, with security officers firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds. The protests were not limited to Nairobi; they were reported in about 30 of the country’s 47 counties.
Businesses were shut, and transport was paralyzed in the city as police clashed with demonstrators. The youth-led protests have been calling on MPs to reject the proposed tax increases. The government, which has backtracked on some of the most controversial measures, insists that new taxes are needed to fund spending programs and reduce the debt burden.
Similar chaos was reported in main towns such as Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Nyeri, where protesters urged MPs to shoot down the controversial Finance Bill, which was later passed. This led to further chaotic scenes after protestors stormed Parliament, resulting in police using live bullets.
Source: capitalfm
