Violence erupted in Kenya on Tuesday, as protesters clashed with police in the streets and stormed the country’s parliament building after lawmakers passed a bill to raise taxes.
Columns of thick smoke poured from the Parliament complex. Protesters furious at the tax increase foreseen by the budget law threw stones and blocked the streets.
The protests have paralyzed Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and images of demonstrators storming parliament and entering the complex have shocked the nation. More than 30 protesters have been injured and at least five have been killed, according to several civic groups.
Protests have spread across the country, to Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret and other urban areas. Kenya is deeply in debt and the government says it needs to raise taxes. But many Kenyans say they cannot afford the proposed increases on imported basic products, such as eggs, onions and cooking oil.
