Burned Cars, Buildings Left After Finance Bill Protests in Eldoret (PHOTOS)

Images from Eldoret Town show burned cars and buildings, broken windows and other damage in the aftermath of the seizure and occupation of Uasin Gishu County Government Offices by protesters angered over the enactment of the Finance Bill 2024, which proposes increased taxes and levies on various goods and services to raise government revenues and reduce state borrowing in the 2024/2025 fiscal cycle.

Yesterday, what had begun as peaceful protests within the streets of the town turned into mayhem when the demonstrators overwhelmed the police, broke into several government offices, including the Uasin Gishu County Assembly, the National Library and the National Bank, smashing windows with stones, overturning furniture and causing other property damage and starting fires.

The offices of several county officials within the county assembly and the National Library burst into flames without a fire crew in sight. Several cars within the premises were also set ablaze;

The police periodically lobbed tear gas into the crowd in an attempt to push the protesters back, but that did too little to stop people from burning buildings and turning the city’s streets into a smoky battleground.

But when some protesters tried to access the inside of the county assembly, just as they did to the Parliament in Nairobi, the officers began using live rounds;

Hundreds of people then surged towards Malaba Road, close to Kenya Police Divisional Headquarters, and a number of them climbed up a certain billboard and reaped down the photos showing His Excellency President William Ruto and his wife, Rachel Ruto;

By that time, until night fell, law enforcement officers struggled to hold their ground, with many retreating from angry protesters. However, at 8:00 AM today, special officers had been deployed to guard the affected areas as repairs started.

Read: List of MPs Who Accepted Finance Bill 2024