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Citizen Posts
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What started as peaceful protests in Kenya over the finance bill culminated into violence as police engaged in running battles with demonstrators across Kenya from Mandela to Nyeri, Mombasa to Kisumu, Turkana to Embu, Wajir to Kajiado and Kirifi to Kiisi and Nandi.
At the height of yesterday’s demos, protesters over powered police, burning police patrols and gaining entry to parliament. Several were shot dead but the damage caused to parliament and the senate where a section was set on fire was much. These also burnt section of the Nairobi city hall.
The Uganda House which had just undergone renovation in Nairobi was not exceptional to the chaos. The protesters stormed the 6-floor building along Kenyatta Avenue, destroyed it and set it on fire. The fire was contained but damage was caused halting plans of re-occupying it.
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Kenyan Lawyer Danstan Omari however alleges that it’s not protesters who set fire on the building but blames police which fired a teargas canister in a shop on the ground floor. The lawyer who has an office on fourth floor of the building also plans to sue the Kenyan government over the damages caused on Uganda House
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since released a statement regarding the incident in which he condemned violence but underlined Uganda’s ties with Kenya and the people of Kenya. The PS also revealed that the building was set to be re-opened this Friday.
“The 6-floor Uganda House building which was slated for reopening this Friday 28th June, 2024 has been undergoing renovations and was only occupied by commercial tenants on the ground floor. The other floors, including the Third Floor which previously housed the Consular Office had been vacated to allow for renovations”- the statement reads in part.
According to the statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, there was extensive damage on the building but atleast there were no fatalities and no staff at the time the incident took place.
“While there is extensive damage to the property, we are grateful that there are no reported fatalities or serious injuries that have been identified so far It is also important to note that none of the Diplomatic or Consular Staff were in the building at the time the fire broke out”-the statement further reads.
Uganda’s High Commission is currently housed in the Westlands area along the Riverside Drive road. Uganda’s ambassador to Kenya Dr Hassan Wasswa Galiwango died early last year in a Nairobi Hospital where he had been admitted. Since then no new ambassador has been posted to Kenya.
Kenyans are protesting the Finance Bill 2024 which was passed yesterday by legislators ahead of the new financial year 2024/25. The bill introduces more taxes on several and key commodity products including on pads, pampers, food, fuel, cars and bread which the GenZ as famously referred to say will make life more difficulty for Kenyans.
Following the violent protests in Kenya, on orders of the CDF Muhoozi Keinerugaba, police has heavily deployed at Kenya’s Embassy in Kololo, Kampala to avert and thwart any possible attack.
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