Chaos in Kenya as protesters storm parliament | CNN (2024)

Demonstrators hurl stones at Kenyan security forces during a protest in downtown Nairobi, on Tuesday, June 25.

Kenya is in the grip ofnationwide protestsagainst proposed tax hikes, culminating in Tuesday’s “total shutdown,” which quickly turned violent.

At least five people were shot dead and around 31 injured after Kenyan police fired live roundsat demonstrators in the capital of Nairobi. A CNN team witnessed Kenyan police beating and later arresting some paramedicswho were helping injured protesters.

Here are other headlines you should know:

The bill behind the chaos:

President’s response

Injuries and damage:

Parliament set on fire:

Internet disruptions:

Military intervention

Reactions:

The chairperson of the African Union Commission urged stakeholders to exercise calm and to refrain from further violence in Kenya.

The chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, is following with “deep concern” the outbreaks of violence following public protests in Kenya, which have resulted in loss of life and damage to property, according to a statement posted on social media.

The chairperson reiterated the solidarity of the African Union with the government and the people of Kenya.

Kenyan President William Ruto speaks during an interview in Seoul, South Korea, on June 5.

Kenyan President William Ruto said Tuesday’s events marked a “critical turning point” in how the government responds “to grave threats to our national security.”

At least five people were killed after Kenyan police fired live roundsat demonstrators in Nairobi on Tuesday as outrage swelled against a controversial finance bill that hassparked widespread protests.

Ruto did not address the bill in his speech.

“I assure the nation that the government has mobilized all resources at the nation’s disposal to ensure that a situation of this nature will not recur again, at whatever cost,” he added.

Kenyan President William Ruto said the security of families and property is his utmost priority as ongoing violent protests continue in the country.

“As the people of Kenya go to bed, I give you my assurance that your security, that of your families and property remains my utmost priority,” he said in an address to the nation on Tuesday.

He called the protests an “unprecedented attack on the integrity institutions and otherwise legitimate expression of the fundamental rights and freedoms of assembly, demonstration, picketing, and petitioning of public authorities, by a section of law-abiding citizens.”

Ruto said Kenya was “infiltrated and hijacked by a group of organized criminals.”

Ruto told Kenyans that his government would “provide a full, effective and expeditious response to today’s treasonous events.”

This post has been updated with more of Ruto’s comments.

Police officers remove barricades from a road as they clash with protesters in downtown Nairobi on Tuesday.

The US State Department condemned the violence today in Kenya.

The UN Secretary-General also called on Kenya’s police and security forces to “exercise restraint,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.

The spokesperson said António Guterres, the secretary-general, is “deeply concerned over the reported violence that we’ve seen” and “saddened” by reports of deaths and injuries, including those of journalists and medical personnel.

“As we say anywhere around the world, it is up to authorities to ensure those rights are respected and that deaths at the hands of security forces be fully investigated,” Dujarric said.

At least five people were shot dead after Kenyan police fired live roundsat demonstrators in Nairobi during protests over a controversial finance bill.

A CNN team witnessed Kenyan police beating and later arresting some paramedicswho were helping injured protesters in Nairobi on Tuesday.

CNN International Correspondent Larry Madowo also witnessed the arrests of the paramedics while he was live on the network.

Despite identifying themselves as paramedics, they were still arrested, Madowo reported, adding that they were not resisting, they were not violent and they didn’t seem to carry any weapons.

Earlier on Tuesday, protesters stormed Kenya’s parliament. Nairobi City Hall wason fire as outrage swelled against a controversial finance bill.

Madowo said he believed that these paramedics had been arrested because they were on the streets after the 6:30 p.m. local time deadline to stop protesting.

When Madowo asked if they knew why they were being arrested, one of the paramedics who still had her white gloves on said, “No I don’t. We are medics and we were helping the injured ones.”

Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday called for the government to “immediately stop the violence its agencies are meting out on citizens,” after at least five people were reported dead and dozens reported injured in protests across the country.

In a statement on Facebook, Odinga also called for the arrest of police officers who are alleged to have shot and killed protesters, as well as for the immediate withdrawal of the country’s controversial finance bill.

Instead, he said, dissenting opinions have been “dismissed and ridiculed” by officials, and are now being “silenced by brutality and murder.”

He also called for the government to “withdraw the Finance Bill and make way for a fresh startanddialogue.”

Kenya’s military has been deployed to support the country’s police services due to the widespread protests on Tuesday, according to the cabinet secretary of Kenya’s defense ministry.

The forces have been deployed “in response to the security emergency caused by the ongoing protests” in various parts of the country, which are “resulting in destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure,” Aden Duale said.

Ambassadors and high commissioners in Kenya from countries including the United States have said they are “deeply concerned” by the violence in the country.

Embassies and high commissions from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States said in a jointstatementthat they “are especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament.”

“We regret the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained including by the use of live fire,” they continued, adding that they “welcome” civic engagement by “all Kenyans, in particular the youth, in addressing issues of vital public concern.”

The Internet monitoring siteNetBlocks has reported that there is a “major disruption” to internet connectivity in Kenya on Tuesday, following widespread protests in the country that include the breaching of the Kenyan Parliament.

“The incident comes amidst a deadly crackdown by police on#RejectFinanceBill2024 protesters a day after authorities claimed there would be no internet shutdown,” NetBlocks posted to X.

The outages have also impacted neighboring countries, including Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda, NetBlocks said.

The site added that “the incident is likely to limit coverage of events on the ground where protests are held.”

Kenyan police officers and security personnel take position to protect the Kenyan Parliament as protesters try to storm the building in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, on June 25.

At least five people were killed and 31 people injured in protests in Kenya on Tuesday, a joint statement released by several human rights groups said.

“Despite the assurance by the Government that the right to assembly would be protected and facilitated, today’s protests have spiralled into violence. Human rights observers and medical officers have reported several incidents of human rights violation,” the statement said.

It was released by Amnesty International Kenya, the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya and Police Reforms Working Group Kenya.

According to the statement, at least five people were shot dead. At least 31 have been injured, with 13 of these people shot with live bullets, four with rubber bullets, and three hit with launcher canisters, it continued.

CNN has reached out to the Kenyan police for comment.

The statement also said that 21 people were abducted or disappeared in the last 24 hours, some of whom who were since released. There have also been at least 52 arrests, it said.

“We urge the State and all parties to de-escalate the situation and stop the use of lethal force to protect life,” the statement said.

“The scenes of police officers shooting at medical emergency center at Holy Basilica must cease immediately. Again, the use of live bullets must now stop. Safe passage for all emergencies services to evacuate and treat the many wounded is now urgent.”

Update: This post has been updated with the latest statement from the human rights groups.

A police officer stands near a burning vehicle during a demonstration againstKenya's proposed finance bill in Nairobi,Kenya, on June 25.

Vehicles parked atKenya’s Supreme Court have been set on fire, CNN’s affiliate Citizen TVKenyareported Tuesday.

The network reported that at least two vehicles were ablaze. The Supreme Court building is close to Nairobi’s City Hall, which was set on fire Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the dining area of theKenyan Parliament is in disarray after protesters entered the premises Tuesday, video by CNN affiliate NTV shows.

In the video, furniture is overturned, plates are smashed, and food is scattered on the floor. The room’s windows are also smashed.

According to NTV, some members of parliament were having lunch in the dining area when protesters entered the parliament.

A television in a room leading from the dining area was smashed, and flags were seen on the floor elsewhere in the parliament.

Kenya’s Red Cross said some of its vehicles have been attacked and its staff and volunteers were injured during the ongoing protests inKenya.

It did not say which people or groups injured its staff and volunteers and attacked its vehicles.

TheKenyaRed Crosssaid in a post on X that there are rumors that it was transporting members of theKenyan parliament.

“We have no contact or role in transporting persons other than the injured,” it said. “The rumors must stop. We can’t provide life-saving interventions without access and safety for our staff and volunteers.”

The humanitarian organization postedimagesof smashed windscreens and broken glass inside vehicles.

Auma Obama, the half-sister of former United States President Barack Obama, gives an interview to CNN in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 25.

Auma Obama, the half-sister of former United States President Barack Obama, was teargassed by police during an interview with CNN live on air, while protestingagainst the bill.

Obama, aKenyan-British activist, was speaking to CNN’s Larry Madowo alongside a group of young protesters when the group was teargassed in Nairobi.

“Look at what’s happening. YoungKenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners,” Obama said.

Protesters run to take cover outside the Kenyan Parliament after storming the building during a nationwide strike to protest against tax hikes and the Finance Bill 2024 in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, on June 25.

Nairobi’s City Hall, the office of the Governor ofNairobi, has been set on fire amidst the protests in Kenya, live visuals from CNN affiliate Citizen TV showed.

A fire can be seen blazing through a lower ground window, with other windows also emitting smoke.

According to Citizen TV, some people were seen removing furniture, including chairs, from the building.

Earlier in the day, the ceremonial mace was also stolen fromKenya’s parliament as protesters stormed the assembly.

Kenyan lawmakers who were at the parliament building escaped through an underground channel, CNN affiliate NTVKenyareported.

According to NTVKenya, lawmakers were evacuated as police went up against protesters, escaping to the nearby government building of Bunge Towers.

Demonstrators react as police stand guard during a demonstration againstKenya's proposed finance bill in Nairobi,Kenya, on June 25.

Kenyan police fired live roundsat demonstrators in Nairobi on Tuesday, as outrage swelled against a controversial finance bill that has sparked widespread protests.

A CNN team witnessed the scenes and observedtwo bodies lying motionless on the ground.

What’s happening? Kenya is in the grip ofnationwide protestsagainst proposed tax hikes, which is culminating in a planned “total shutdown” of the country.

The demonstrations, sparked by the Finance Bill 2024, have seen citizens rally under the banner of “7 Days of Rage,” as the nation faces more days of upheaval.

The government was alreadyforced to amend its bill after dozens of demonstrators rallied outside the country’s parliament building last week. Among thetaxes suspended was a 16% value-addedtaxon bread and a 2.5%taxon motor vehicles, astatementfromKenya’s presidency said.