Five Ghanaian lawmakers and a clerk found themselves amid the chaos as protestors stormed the Kenyan Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
The MPs, including Emmanuel Gyamfi, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Thomas Ampem, Sylvester Tetteh, and Mohammed Tuferu, were in Kenya for a study visit when the incident occurred. The Ghanaian delegation was caught in the turmoil as hundreds of anti-Finance Bill protestors besieged the Parliament, setting police vehicles on fire and breaking through heavy security.
The protests erupted after the Kenyan Parliament approved the Finance Bill 2024, which introduces new taxes, sparking outrage and nationwide demonstrations. The Ghanaian delegation was safely escorted out but had inhaled some tear gas in the process.
Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, shared in an interview with Starr FM, “We are safe in Nairobi. We were lucky to escape unhurt today. We, however, inhaled a bit of teargas. We had to be escorted to a bunker and later to a safer place.”
The demonstrations in Nairobi are part of a broader national outcry against the Finance Bill 2024. Protesters have been assembling in various counties, expressing their discontent with the proposed tax increases, which many believe will further burden the already struggling populace. In the capital, the situation quickly escalated as police forces moved in to disperse the crowds, deploying tear gas extensively and causing chaos and panic among the demonstrators.
Additionally, reports have emerged that police fired rubber bullets to disperse young protesters, adding to the tension and violence on the streets. The protests follow a night marked by multiple arrests and abductions, with several prominent social media users and content creators reportedly captured in overnight operations aimed at defusing the planned demonstrations.