Summary:

• Twenty-two people were killed in Kenya on Tuesday during protests against tax increases. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has announced an investigation. The protests, initially peaceful, turned violent when police opened fire on demonstrators storming parliament. President William Ruto’s government has deployed the military in response.

NAIROBI, (Examiner) – Twenty-two people were killed in Tuesday’s protests in Kenya, marking the highest death toll in a single day of demonstrations, according to a state-funded rights organization. Roseline Odede, chairwoman of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, confirmed the fatalities and announced an investigation into the violence.

“We have recorded 22 deaths… we are going to launch an inquiry,” Odede stated, noting that 19 of the victims were killed in Nairobi, where police opened fire on demonstrators who had stormed parliament.

Additionally, the Kenya Medical Association reported that about 30 people were being treated for bullet wounds sustained during the protests.

The youth-led rallies, initially peaceful, erupted into chaos as police responded with gunfire. Demonstrators took to the streets to oppose tax increases, but tensions escalated sharply on Tuesday when the crowd breached parliament, resulting in parts of the building being set ablaze and numerous injuries.

In response to the unrest, President William Ruto’s government deployed the military to restore order. The protests coincided with the passage of a contentious bill in parliament that includes the tax hikes, which now awaits Ruto’s signature to become law.

Despite the violence, protest organizers have called for another demonstration on Thursday, urging participants to wear white in memory of those killed.

“Tomorrow we march peacefully again as we wear white, for all our fallen people,” said protest organizer Hanifa Adan on X. “You cannot kill all of us.”