Nairobi, Jun. 26, (dpa/GNA) – The Kenyan parliament, sitting in special session on Wednesday, authorized the deployment of the military to secure critical infrastructure and to support the police during the violent protests that have gripped the country.
The East African nation’s defence minister announced the deployment of the military the previous evening after hundreds of demonstrators stormed parliament and set part of the building on fire.
There is still no official account of the latest incidents. Eyewitnesses speak of several dead and hundreds injured.
Opposition lawmakers raised doubts about the legality of the parliamentary resolution, which was passed within an hour and after a debate held behind closed doors.
The protests were fuelled by a new tax law, which many Kenyans fear will lead to further financial burdens and a significant increase in the cost of living.
Churches and business representatives have also spoken out against the law, which must now be signed by the president or returned to parliament with proposed amendments within 14 days of being passed.
New protests have already been announced. On Friday, demonstrators plan to march to State House, the official residence of President William Ruto.
Ruto has been president of Kenya since 2022. He once positioned himself as a man of the “little people,” in contrast to his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who both come from wealthy Kenyan political dynasties. His election promise was to revitalize the economy and create jobs.
But since then, life for Kenyans has become more expensive, mainly due to tax increases and the higher cost of living. Kenyans have nicknamed Ruto “Zakayo,” after the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus. There is widespread resistance to the new tax law.
“President Ruto and his government have seriously underestimated the extent of the anger over the tax hikes and socio-economic conditions,” said Africa analyst Andrew Smith.
“Ruto is in a difficult situation. He has to reduce Kenya’s debt burden and is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to increase government revenue. However, these protests show that he will find it difficult to achieve this through new taxes without provoking further demonstrations.”
The German government has expressed concern about the escalation of violence during protests in Kenya.
“We expressly condemn these acts of violence and call on all those involved to exercise maximum restraint,” a spokesman for the German Foreign Office said in Berlin on Wednesday.
The security forces have the right and the duty to restore public order – within the framework of the law, the spokesman said. But he said reports of the use of live ammunition and the suspected abduction of demonstrators and protesters were worrying.
GNA