Soldiers and police were deployed Wednesday on the streets of Kenya's capital, a day after protesters stormed the country's parliament as part of demonstrations against tax increases.
"It is not in order or even conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established under our constitution and expect to go scot-free," Ruto said. A joint statement from 13 Western ambassadors expressed regret at the injuries and loss of life during the protests and called for restraint on all sides. A U.S. official told VOA that"we're closely monitoring the situation in Nairobi" and that the U.S. urges calm and condemns any violence.
Kenya has seen a growing youth-led movement in recent days against the tax increases, which the government says are necessary to continue to pay the interest on its high sovereign debt.