No tax hike, protests still rage on in Kenya

Nairobi, June 27

Kenyan police fired teargas at dozens of protesters in Nairobi and blocked off roads to the presidential palace on Thursday as crowds took to the streets again nationwide, even after the president bowed to pressure to withdraw a tax hike bill.

Crowds called for President William Ruto to go further and step down in the capital, Mombasa, Kisumu and other centres, though the turnout was well down from the height of the mass rallies sparked by the tax measures over the past week.

Ruto withdrew the legislation including new taxes and hikes on Wednesday, a day after at least 23 people were killed in clashes at protests sparked by his plans, and parliament was briefly stormed and set alight.

Seven people were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds in the town of Homa Bay in western Kenya on Thursday. — Reuters

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