Police in African nation fire tear gas as anti-tax protests spread
(DW) – Thousands of people in Kenya took to the streets on Thursday for a third day protests against a government plan to raise taxes. In Nairobi's business district, riot police fired water cannons and tear gas at protesters who appeared to be demonstrating peacefully, according to local media reports. It comes after police arrested hundreds of protesters in the capital on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the protests spread to Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and other cities. Demonstrators chanted phrases like "We say no to economic dictatorship" and "Ruto must go."
The Kenyan government is looking to raise $2.7 billion (€2.5 billion) in new taxes in order to plug a budget deficit. The International Monetary Fund has also urged the government to increase revenues in its next budget and to reduce borrowing.