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How over 50 children land for hospital as deadly protests rock Kenya

Proteters as dem dey face police for Kenya capital, Nairobi

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 Source: BBC

Dem don ruch fifty-three children to hospital for Nairobi after police throw tear gas into their class during protests on Wednesday.

Dr Aron Shikuku from Eagle Nursing Home hospital tell di BBC dem release di children after being treated.

E say dem bin suffer breathing difficulties and shock.

Demonstrations called by di opposition dey happun around di kontri over di rising cost of living, but dem turn deadly.

Dem kill six pipo, authorities tok.

Human rights bodies however put di number of those wey die at 12, with many more injured.

Two people die after protesters set fire to one police station, while another die during one attack on a police van along di Nairobi Expressway on di outskirts of di city, reports say.

Dem bin ban di protests, but pipo carrywaka enta di streets anyway, na so di anger amongst some Kenyans about di rising cost of living and a new finance bill - wey includes tax increases.

Di controversial hikes include di doubling of fuel taxes and di imposition of a 1.5% levy on all employees to fund new houses.

Di goment say di hikes dey essential to pay off debts and create job opportunities for young pipo but one court don suspend di law over constitutional concerns.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, wey Oga Ruto defeat for last year's election, don dey press di goment to reverse di tax hikes, calling for civil disobedience last month and describing those wey wan implement di finance bill as "traitors".

One rally of di Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party don dey scheduled for Wednesday, but im leader, Oga Odinga, call am off, saying e wan avert further violence.

Policing boss Japhet Koome tok on Tuesday say dem go use "all lawful means" to disperse di demonstrations, di AFP news agency reports.

Dis latest protests come just a few days after several people bin die during anti-goment demonstrations last Friday, in which human rights groups don accuse di Kenyan police of using excessive force.

Kenyans dey divided over di protests, with some backing dem, saying di high cost of living no dey sustainable: "Kenyans dey personally defend themselves, arguing against di imposed taxes. Di salary dem dey pay you against wetin you dey spend, nothing important you fit do for yourself as a human being," William Musembi tell di Reuters news agency.

While others don complain about looting: "One group of around 400 to 500 pipo bin dey gather along di highway and dem come all at once and break di doors wey don already dey bolted," supermarket manager James Kagimi Wanjema tell Reuters.

"Dem access di tills, dem tiff some cash and merchandise. E dey little chaotic, very chaotic," e tok.

Source: BBC