ANTI-TAX protesters in Kenya are in shock after a 29-year-old man was killed during nationwide demonstrations against a new finance bill.
Rex Kanyike Masai, who was protesting on Thursday in the centre of Nairobi, died of gunshot wounds, a doctor from a hospital in the capital has told a local newspaper.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons at largely peaceful protesters near parliament as lawmakers were debating proposals to bring in new taxes.
Amnesty International has accused the police of using excessive force to contain protesters, many of whom were arrested.
When the protests, dubbed “Occupy Parliament”, began on Tuesday, the public outcry forced the government to withdraw some of the contentious proposals, including a 16% tax on bread and an annual 2.5% tax on vehicles.
But it has not stemmed the anger of the mainly youthful protesters, their ire focused on the government of President William Ruto.
Since becoming president, he has introduced several new and unpopular taxes, which critics say stifle economic growth and lead to job losses.
The police say they have visited the scene of the shooting and are investigating the circumstances of Mr Masai’s death.
Activist Boniface Mwangi has said the young man was only carrying a national identity card and his phone and had not been armed.
His mother, Gillian Munyao, told journalists that her son joined protests after work and he was evading tear gas when he was shot in the city centre.
“The only mistake Rex did was to defend the rights of everyone, we want justice for our child,” Ms Munyao added.
His father, Chrispin Odawa, said he was a “very calm, peaceful and obedient child”.
Mr Masai was taken to Bliss Hospital along Nairobi’s Moi Avenue where he was pronounced dead, officials there said.
“He was shot in the upper middle part of the thigh. It appears he bled to death before being brought to our facility,” a doctor told Kenya’s Nation news website.
Kenyans have taken to social media to mourn and demand justice for the young man.
“We will print posters with Rex’s face and name around Nairobi terming him as a hero. We will cover the burial expenses as well,” Hanifa Farsafi, reportedly one of the protests’ organisers, posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“My heart is absolutely broken… but it was not in vain,” she added.
The country’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) says it has launched investigations into the shooting.
The opposition coalition, Azimio la Umoja One Kenya, has termed the shooting a “tragic event with far-reaching consequences”, and called on the country’s police chief Japhet Koome to resign.
A total of 39 people were injured during Thursday’s protests, with eight of among them in critical condition, according to the Kenya Red Cross.