Kenyan President William Ruto attributed the storming of parliament to “a group of organized criminals” who, he said, infiltrated and hijacked what began as peaceful protests.
In a televised address on Tuesday, Ruto addressed the protests, which erupted in response to a new tax law imposing additional taxes and raising existing ones.
Since Tuesday morning, thousands of demonstrators across Kenya have voiced their opposition to the legislation through protests.
By the afternoon, the protests had escalated into chaos, violence, looting, and arson. Buildings belonging to members of parliament who supported the new tax law were set on fire in several cities. Kenyan human rights groups reported that at least two people lost their lives during the unrest.
“Kenya experienced an unprecedented attack on its democracy, rule of law and the integrity of its … institutions,” said Ruto. “Today’s events mark a critical turning point on how we respond to grave threats to our national security.”
The president stated that the government has mobilized all available resources to prevent such incidents from recurring. In the evening, Defence Minister Aden Duale announced the deployment of the military to assist the police in maintaining order.
It was reported that the death toll of the protest has risen to 13, an increment of 8 compared to the 5 reported 24hrs earlier.
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