MOSCOW: At least 30 people have been killed during the ongoing violent protests across Kenya against a controversial tax hike bill, Human Rights Watch said on Saturday, adding that police shooting into fleeing protesters was unacceptable under the African country’s and international law, reported Sputnik.
On Friday, The Star newspaper reported that over 58 police officers were injured, and nine police vehicles were damaged during the demonstrations. The Citizen Digital media outlet reported that 23 people died and over 300 were injured in the recent protests all over the country.
The police allegedly opened fire on protesters in Nairobi during a parliament meeting on June 25, the rights group said, citing witnesses.
“Shooting directly into crowds without justification, including as protesters try to flee, is completely unacceptable under Kenyan and international law... The Kenyan authorities need to make clear to their forces that they should be protecting peaceful protesters and that impunity for police violence can no longer be tolerated,“ Otsieno Namwaya, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch, was quoted as saying.
Protests have continued across Kenya since last week, when authorities unveiled a bill imposing a 16 per cent VAT on bread, sugar transportations, mobile and financial services, and foreign currency transactions, as well as a 2.5 per cent excise on cars and vegetable oil. As protests ignited, President William Ruto refused to sign the bill and sent it back to parliament for reconsideration. - Bernama, Sputnik
