Thirteen killed and parliament set ablaze in Kenya protests – medics

At least 13 protesters were killed during protests in Kenya, doctors say, and a section of parliament went up in flames as demonstrations against new tax proposals escalated on Tuesday.

An angry crowd broke through police lines to storm parliament in the capital Nairobi before setting parts of it ablaze.

In an address on Tuesday evening, President William Ruto said all means would be deployed to “thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country”.

He has deployed the military to quell the protests.

Several groups have accused the security forces of over-reacting by using live ammunition.

Simon Kigondu, president of the Kenya Medical Association, told the AFP news agency that the figure of 13 deaths was “not the final number”.

There have also been unverified social media reports of dozens of people being shot dead by security officers overnight, as well as reports of deaths in other areas around the country where there were protests.

Protests against an unpopular finance bill, which includes several tax rises, have been ongoing for days. But they escalated on Tuesday as MPs passed an amended bill.

Protesters broke into parliament, vandalising the interior and setting parts of the complex on fire. The ceremonial mace, symbolising the authority of the legislature, was stolen.

Police then opened fire with live ammunition, according to the Kenya Medical Association.

The BBC’s Mercy Juma in Nairobi saw several bodies lying on the street in pools of blood.

The protests have largely been organised by young people through social media.

“There are some things that are hard to understand, like how can you impose 16% tax on bread? How can you tax sanitary pads?” 24-year-old Derrick Mwathu told the BBC, referring to some of the proposals contained in the original bill.