By THEDISPATCH REPORTER
Kenya is sailing through uncharted waters after Tuesday’s invasion of Parliament which saw MPs being evacuated through a tunnel moments after voting to pass the withdrawn Finance Bill 2024 which, retained punitive taxes even in its amended form.
Protesters overpowered a tight security cordon around and inside Parliament Buildings before unleashing a wave of destruction that left several sections including the Senate chamber and the restaurant littered with debris.
Some protestors were able to access the public gallery from where one addressed MPs over citizens’ grievances leading to a pandemonium among those supporting the Bill.
It came after hours of violent clashes between demonstrators and anti-riot police that resulted in several deaths and dozens of injuries.
The scenes were unlike last week’s protests that involved suave Gen Z protestors that were peaceful and coordinated despite provocation from the police that resulted in two deaths and several injuries.
While the government has been under pressure for its response to protests against the Finance Bill 2024, it is emerging that unlike last week’s, Tuesday’s protests attracted organised groups, including remnants of the Eastlands-based Gaza, which stubbornly took on the police and is believed to have led the march on Parliament buildings.
THEDISPATCH.DIGITAL has also learnt that apart from the frontline confrontation between the police and the groups, it is their members who were responsible for the vandalization of business premises and looting that took place in areas such as Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue, Tom Mboya Street and Ronald Ngara Street where property worth millions of shillings was stolen.
the property included TVs, smartphones, shoes, laptops and expensive alcoholic drinks that were later sold cheaply in estates in Eastlands and other parts of Nairobi such Mathare for about Sh1,500 or consumed in night parties.
“Young men who have been idling around or engaged in petty crime are suddenly swimming in money while others are bragging they will not buy food for a month after looting supermarkets in town. Others resorted to looting in Donholm after being blocked from accessing Jogoo Road,” a resident of Kayole estate said on condition of anonymity.
He added that those who were able to access town left early and started confrontations with the police from around 9am.
What is not confirmed are reports that there was a political link to involvement of the gangs in the demos with some said to have been sponsored by various factions within the Kenya Kwanza coalition for varied reasons.
In his address to the nation on Tuesday night, President William Ruto put on notice “the planners, financiers, orchestrators and abettors of violence and anarchy, saying security infrastructures established to protect our republic and its sovereignty, will be deployed to secure the country and restore normalcy.”
What was not clear was how the president intended to balance between those exercising their freedoms under the Constitution to picket against the Finance Act 2024, whom he had promised to have dialogue with, and elements keen on taking advantage of the situation for selfish or criminal gains.
After appearing to baulk under pressure from Gen Z, the government responded by deploying the Kenya Defence Forces to assist the police in quelling the unrest. But the deployment required approval by Parliament, which was quickly secured but only after running into headwinds with the Law Society of Kenya securing a court order stopping the move. It was not clear what specific orders LSK secured as Parliament gave the requisite approval in the course of the afternoon despite the National Assembly approving the same.
Despite this, more demonstrations are planned from tomorrow in what would give a test to both the police, who have so far lacked a workable operational plan, and the KDF, who are being engaging in combating civil disobedience for the first time in Kenya’s unrest amid condemnations from local and international actors against excessive use of force.