Despite Ruto withdrawing the proposed tax hikes and dismissing nearly all of his cabinet, nationwide youth-led protests, which began a month ago, persist.
One person was reportedly killed in renewed anti-government protests across Kenya on Tuesday, as police clashed with demonstrators demanding that President William Ruto step down.
Despite Ruto withdrawing the proposed tax hikes and dismissing nearly all of his cabinet, nationwide youth-led protests, which began a month ago, persist.
Reuters reports that activists are calling for Ruto’s resignation and advocating for systemic changes to combat corruption and improve governance.
At least 50 people have been killed in the protests to date, the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said on Tuesday.
In Kitengela, a town on the southern outskirts of the capital Nairobi, police fired repeatedly in the direction of hundreds of protesters, some of whom were throwing rocks, Reuters TV footage showed. The protesters also burned tyres, waved Kenyan flags and chanted “Ruto must go!”
A Reuters reporter saw the body of one protester lying on the ground with blood oozing from a head wound. The national police spokesperson declined to comment.
Tuesday’s protests appeared to be some of the biggest since Ruto withdrew the tax increases on June 26. The Nation newspaper reported demonstrations in at least 23 of Kenya’s 47 counties.
In Nairobi’s downtown area, riot police deployed tear gas against a group of protesters. A local ambulance service shared video on X, showing their personnel transporting an injured individual on a stretcher from the scene.
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