Anti-Finance Bill 2024 protesters storm Parliament
By Lutta Njomo, June 25, 2024
Protesters have overwhelmed security officers and have stormed into Parliament Buildings.
Thousands of protesters accessed the Parliament precinct at around 3:00 pm on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
The protesters who were largely made up of young people were recorded running in different directions inside the Parliament Building after overpowering the law enforcement officers who had formed layers of defence around the area.
Protestors manage to get to parliament pic.twitter.com/DVo1I9P2C5
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) June 25, 2024
Some of the protesters were also pictured inside the cafeteria feasting on what appeared to be food meant for Members of Parliament.
While engaging the police in running battles inside Parliament, they also set on fire a section of Kenya’s historical building.
Others went to cause massive destruction in the National Assembly building.
Members of Parliament were also compelled to scamper for safety as overdaring protesters ran riot inside Parliament Buildings.
Before the unprecedented move, several bodies were recorded lying in a pool of blood with some protesters claiming that they had been shot.
They made their way inside the Parliament as MPs continued with their debate on the contentious Finance Bill 2024.
Before protests
Before the protests began, young people mobilised on various social media platforms calling on their leaders to reject the Finance Bill 2024.
However, most legislators remained bullish and dismissed their concerns. after the first protests, the Kenya Kwanza side came out to announce that they had dropped some tax proposals.
However, the youth especially Gen Z rejected the amendments by pushing the MPs to drop the Bill in totality.
Despite their concerns, the MPs went ahead and passed the Finance Bill making it sail to Second Reading.
Worsened the situation
Their vote worsened the situation as people mobilised online vowing to stage a mother of all protests.
Despite heavy police presence on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, thousands matched from various parts of Nairobi and assembled in Nairobi Central Business District for mass protests.
By 3:00 pm, the protesters were already outside Parliament. They overpowered the heavy police presence deployed to man Parliament and accessed the building.
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