Kenyans protesting plans by the government to raise tax on certain commodities on Thursday took their protests beyond the capital Nairobi to more towns and cities of the country, including President William Ruto's home town, Eldoret. The protesters have clashed repeatedly with Kenyan police operatives struggling to stem the tide. Anti-riot policemen fired tear gas at the angry crowds, but the crowds surged on, threatening to get out of hand.
The youths had before now carried out intense social media campaigns using the hashtags #OccupyParliament and #RejectFinanceBill2024, urging Kenyans to keep members of parliament in tune with the public mood as they debate the bill. Some prominent politicians have, however, weighed in on the protests, including opposition leader Raila Odinga, who urged legislators to remove clauses in the Finance Bill that would burden the people.