NAIROBI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Normal activities were disrupted in Kenya's capital of Nairobi and other parts of the East African nation Friday as police clashed with supporters of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance Coalition, the opposition alliance, who held protests over the high cost of living.
Hundreds of shops were closed in Nairobi as the police tried to keep the protesters away from the central business district.
The opposition leader, Raila Odinga, on Thursday called for the protests, accusing the government of worsening the cost of living by raising tax on fuel and other products in a bid to shore up revenue collection.
Kenya's inflation stood at 7.9 percent in June, largely remaining unchanged from the May position. With the partial implementation of the new taxes, however, this is expected to change drastically.
Kenyan President William Ruto on June 26 signed the Finance Bill into law, a bill that raises taxes on a wide range of items despite the opposition criticism that it will bring more economic hardship to citizens. While the law has been challenged in court, which stopped its implementation, the government raised the tax on fuel to 16 percent from 8 percent, a move that has seen the cost of various products and transport surge by up to 30 percent.
"We asked William Ruto's government to bring down the cost of living, and it has not, we are tired of high prices," Odinga told his supporters at a political rally in Nairobi Friday.
Police in Nairobi allowed the rally to proceed at Kamukunji on the outskirts of the central business district. Friday protests coincided with a historical day, Saba Saba. On July 7, 1990, people staged nationwide protests in Kenya, demanding human rights and democracy.
In Nairobi, police officers manned various major roads across the city, creating barriers at entry points to prevent the protesters from entering the city center. Some protesters managed to cross the barriers and get into the city center, forcing the police to use tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Protests were also witnessed in Kisumu, Kisii and Kakamega in western Kenya, Machakos in eastern, Nyahururu and Kirinyaga in central and Lodwar in northwest Kenya, where police arrested several protesters. ■