A protester has recounted how together with others accessed Parliament Buildings during Tuesday, June 25 protests, during which part of the House was set on fire. On the same day, police killed several protesters.
The protester whose identity was concealed, admitted that he was at the front of the crowd and managed to get all the way to the floor of the National Assembly.
Speaking to the media, he narrated that they broke the fence and entered compound while raising their hands to show they were peaceful. However, when he looked back, he saw that the number of protestors were fewer than 100 who made it inside.
“As we entered the parliament buildings, saying we wanted peace, we lay on the ground with our hands up. But sadly, the police began shooting when they saw we weren’t getting up,” he noted.
At that moment, the police began shooting to try to disperse the crowd, but unfortunately, they were unable to clear the area, causing many to flee.
Further, he narrated that after the police ran for their lives, they broke into parliament through the windows and found themselves in the cafeteria. Those who were hungry quickly ate rice, meat, and sodas in less than 10 minutes.
Also Read: Ruto Orders Release of Select Kenyans Arrested During Protests
Additionally, he mentioned that as they were trying to escape, one of their friends was shot dead. He also noted that after leaving parliament, he saw another protester who had been shot in the head by a sniper, who was believed to be on the rooftop of the parliament building.
“As we walked into City Hallway from parliament, we saw someone who was lying down. When looked closer, we saw he had been shot in head by a sniper who was on the rooftop,” he said.
Protesters Burn Part of Kenyan Parliament
A section of the Kenyan Parliament was set on fire after protestors occupied Parliament Buildings, demonstrating against the punitive Finance Bill 2024, which legislators had approved awaiting President William Ruto‘s assent.
Also Read: Kenyan Protesters Have Taken to the Streets in Their Thousands; What the Law Says About Their Rights
During the protests, police officers at Parliament concentrated on evacuating the MPs through the underground tunnel of Parliament.
There also reports that some leaders including the Senate Speaker Amason Kingi were whisked away by ambulances.
Elsewhere, the anti-finance protestors set Nairobi City Hall, which houses the Office of Governor Johnson Sakaja and Nairobi County Assembly on fire.
June 25 protests marked a turning point in the history of Kenya, with President William Ruto deploying the military to the streets, withdrew the Finance Bill in its entirety and dismissed his cabinet.
According to Ruto, he had heard the cries of Kenyans.
Police killed several people at Parliament and during violent protests that ensued for almost a month. The Kenya Human Rights Commission reported on July 25 that at least 60 people were killed since antigovernment protests kicked off across the country.
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