Kenya: 11 Arrested As Police, Protesters Clash Over Tax Hike Plans

11 people were arrested after protesters and the Kenyan police clashed on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. The demonstrators marched in the capital as they protested the cost of living crisis and a new Finance Bill set to implement fresh or increased taxes.

The Finance Bill 2023, a piece of proposed legislation, seeks new or higher taxes on a variety of goods, including food and gasoline as well as cosmetics, cryptocurrency, and social media influencers.

To try to disperse the rally, police fired multiple bursts of tear gas, detained 11 individuals, and loaded them into a police vehicle, according to AFP journalists who were on the scene.

About 100 protestors marched towards parliament, which started meeting again on Tuesday after a break and is scheduled to discuss the legislation this week. They shouted, "Down down finance bill," as they marched.

"They want to kill us with hunger", some demonstrators chanted. 

The protests, which according to the organizers were reported to the police, were known as "sita sita" (six six) since they took place on the sixth day of the sixth month.

The slogans "Poverty is man-made" and "Will more taxation lead to a low cost of living" were waved by demonstrators.

"We are witnessing some chaos which is not right. We are being chased but we are fighting for our rights," said one of the protesters, Rodgers Obogi, a 23-year-old unemployed man.