UPDATE - Kenyan protests escalate beyond Finance Bill

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE, ADDS GROUND SITUATION ON GROUND

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Protests in Kenya intensified Tuesday beyond opposition to tax hikes in Finance Bill 2024 to broader anti-government demonstrations with demands that President William Ruto resign.

Demonstrators told Anadolu that coffins and placards that protesters carried symbolized the deaths that have been recorded in engagement with police.

“We are expressing our frustration and demanding accountability from our leaders. This is no longer about the Finance Bill, these coffins in the streets are because we are mourning those who were killed,” said David Mwangi.

The capital of Nairobi, the town of Migori in western Kenya and the coastal city of Mombasa have been hotspots for the protests.

Traffic came to a halt as protesters engaged police in running battles in those areas. The unrest has been marked by significant violence, with cars set on fire, creating chaos and destruction.

Major roads were blocked by stones and bonfires lit in Nairobi, causing traffic disruptions. Mombasa saw similar scenes of unrest, with the port city’s economic activities disrupted.

The opposition asked the government to listen to protesters and address their grievances.

Edwin Sifuna, a lawyer, senator of Nairobi County and a top official with the opposition, said it is time for the president to listen to people. It “'s time for all of us in the political leadership to begin to listen. Listen to what the people are saying and not to our voices. The young people have spoken in plain language that should be clear to everyone,” he said.

Thirty-nine people have been killed, according to a report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

KNCHR’s chairperson Roseline Adede said late Monday that the deaths were all due to violent clashes between demonstrators and police.

The protests resulted in widespread looting and property damage throughout the country. Ruto bowed to public pressure last Wednesday and announced he would not sign the controversial bill.

Military vehicles and armored personnel carriers have been patrolling Nairobi with heavily armed soldiers assisting police in preventing looting and vandalism.