Hundreds of people flocked to the center of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday to protest a proposed finance bill that many fear would significantly raise their already-elevated cost of living by adding new taxes and increasing others on a wide range of goods and services.
Protesters wearing black T-shirts and blowing whistles and vuvuzelas gathered near the Parliament, adding to an outpouring of online anger trumpeted through hashtags and videos on TikTok. Lawmakers have also been flooded with phone calls and text messages pressuring them to reject the bill.
Police officers used tear gas and water cannons against the protesters and quickly started making arrests. More than 200 people, including journalists, were arrested, a coalition of human rights groups said in a statement. The police have not yet issued a statement on the number of arrests.
Businesses in the central business district closed their doors as police officers chased demonstrators and sirens rang through the streets.
As protests rocked the city, the government announced it would drop some of the new taxes, including on bread. Opposition lawmakers dismissed the concession as a “PR exercise.”