Kenya's protests on tax hike: 100 arrested, 200 injured in clashes

Nairobi: Nationwide protests in Kenya against the government's move to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes on Thursday witnessed at least 200 people getting injured and more than 100 getting arrested, Reuters reported.

An alliance of rights groups informed that police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters in the capital city, Nairobi. The alliance, including Amnesty International and Kenya Medical Association, also revealed a shocking detail that there were fired bullet cartridges found, implying the use of live rounds.

An unidentified person died at Bliss Hospital from a gunshot wound to his thigh sustained during the protest, the Daily Nation newspaper reported.

The Daily National newspaper has reported the death of an unidentified person who succumbed to a thigh wound from a gunshot. He was hospitalized at the Bliss Hospital. Police have reported the death of a 29-year-old, who also died on Thursday night of a thigh wound he suffered by gunshot. It assumed that both the news are about the same person.

Reuters reports that Nairobi county police commander Adamson Bungei did not answer phone calls.

The alliance said that it commended the several thousands of protesters for peacefully picketing and exhibiting restraint and decorum despite provocation by police.

According to protesters, the new tax will choke the economy and raise the cost of living for people of the country, who are already struggling to make ends meet. They wanted the government to completely abandon the taxes.

However, the International Monetary Fund says that the Kenyan government must increase revenues to reduce the budget deficit and state borrowing.

The government softened its position earlier this week, with President William Ruto endorsing recommendations to scrap some taxes, such as those on car ownership, bread, cooking oil, and financial transactions.