3:28 PM (Kenyan Time) OccupyParliament protesters have overpowered police and gained access to the Parliament after live rounds were fired. Eight people have been confirmed dead, per two Kenyan publications.
Live rounds were fired at protesters on Tuesday afternoon minutes after Parliament passed the controversial 2024 Finance Bill. Three persons claimed the rounds were fired by Kenyan police. Eight people have now been confirmed dead, per Kenyan news outlet KTN.
The protesters overpowered the police who had barricaded sections of City Hall Way, one of the many streets occupied by tens of thousands of Kenyans who came out to pressure lawmakers to withdraw the controversial bill.
Protesters have now taken over major streets in Nairobi with two publications reporting that one of the gates to Parliament has been overcome by demonstrators. A section of the Parliament building is on fire, per the same reports.
Despite the protests, the bill sailed through the committee stage and will now be sent to President William Ruto who will assent to the bill as early as Thursday.
