President of Kenya William Ruto addresses members of the media during a press conference at the State House in Nairobi, on June 26, 2024. - Kenyan President William Ruto said on June 26, 2024 that a contentious bill containing tax hikes would"be withdrawn", dramatically reversing course after unprecedented scenes saw over a dozen people killed and parliament ransacked in the capital Nairobi.
“Shooting directly into crowds without justification, including as protesters try to flee, is completely unacceptable under Kenyan and international law,” said Otsieno Namwaya, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch. After the announcement of the vote, crowds stormed the parliament complex and a fire broke out in clashes unprecedented in the history of the country since its independence from Britain in 1963.The state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said it had recorded 22 deaths and 300 injured victims, adding it would open an investigation.
Ruto had already rolled back some tax measures after the protests began, prompting the treasury to warn of a gaping budget shortfall of 200 billion shillings .