Three killed during anti-govt protests in Kenya

Gunshots heard after midnight as police disperse protesters in Kajiado County, arrest 50 for looting

NAIROBI:

Three people, including a minor, were killed late Thursday during anti-government protests in Kenya.

Police and demonstrators clashed in the town of Ongata Rongai in Kajiado County, around 17 kilometers (11 miles) south of the capital Nairobi, with 50 people arrested after being caught looting a supermarket.

Gunshots echoed through the area a few minutes past midnight as police continued efforts to disperse the remaining protesters.

"We are working to clear the area and restore order. We have also arrested 50 others, who have been taken to the police station for processing," Hussein Abduba, the area’s superintendent of police, told reporters.

The demonstrators were part of a larger group in Ongata Rongai protesting government tax hikes before other people took advantage and began looting after breaking into stores, stealing merchandise and causing significant property damage.

There have been widespread reports of mass looting across Kenya, particularly in the Central Business District in Nairobi.

In several cities across the East African country, including Mombasa and Kisumu, shops and businesses have been ransacked and looted, forcing their owners to keep them closed all week.

The death toll from the protests in Kenya has risen to 26 with the latest casualties.

The High Court of Kenya on Thursday approved the use of military forces to restore order following violent anti-tax protests that overwhelmed police.

The ruling comes one day after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) filed a petition seeking to block the deployment.

President William Ruto bowed to public pressure Wednesday and announced that he will not sign the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which has several tax hikes.

Military vehicles and armored personnel carriers patrolled the streets on Thursday with heavily armed soldiers assisting police in preventing chaos looting and vandalism.