Police have charged two men with unlawful entry into Parliament.
In a statement on Monday, July 1, 2024, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that the two men identified as Stephen Mokogi Nyarenchi and Geoffrey Njau Wangui gained access to Parliament by climbing over the fence along Parliament Road.
The two were charged before Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi at the Milimani Law Courts for with unlawful entry into the parliamentary compound by climbing over the fence along Parliament Road on June 28 2024.
Nyarenchi is reported to have gained access to Parliament on June 28, 2024, at 5 am before he was arrested.
He pleaded not guilty and was released on a cash bail of Ksh2000.
“The DCI cautions members of the public to refrain from acts of violence and destruction of property as the law will take its course without fear or favour,” the DCI said.
Protesters breach parliament
On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, protesters made true their threats to occupy Parliament moments after Members of Parliament passed the controversial Finance Bill 2024 amid intensified demos.
The demonstrators overwhelmed police rings guarding the National Assembly, effectively managing to gain entry into the Parliament Buildings.
During the confrontation, several protesters were shot dead with others sustaining serious injuries.
Demonstrators vandalised glass panels, broke furniture, destroyed wall art and feasted on meals prepared for the Members of Parliament during the invasion.
Parliament orderlies were forced to evacuate the besieged MPs through a secret tunnel which connects the two legislative houses to the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
The protesters also vandalized communication devices in the chambers.
Ruto vows action
President William Ruto would hold a brief press conference on the night of the protests, where he termed the breach into Parliament treasonous, vowing to crack down on the organisers and financiers of the demos.
Ruto would, however, tone down, instead declining to sign the Finance Bill 2024 after it was presented to him for assent by the Speaker of the National Assembly on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.
“Consequently, having reflected on the continuing conversation around the content of the finance bill of 2024, I will decline to assent to the bill,” Ruto said.
The bill was adopted with amendments including the scrapping of the motor vehicle tax, and removal of VAT on bread and financial services but other taxes like the Railway development levy remained at 2.5 per cent on customs value and 3.5 per cent for the import declaration fee.
However, the protesters called for its rejection despite a Ksh146 billion reduction from the initial targeted revenue of Ksh 346 billion.
“Notwithstanding all these concessions, it became evident that members of the public were still insisting on the need for us to make more concessions,” Ruto added.
A section of protesters have vowed to continue with the protests on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, with renewed calls to cut down state largesse, address corruption and fire incompetent Cabinet Secretaries.
The protesters have also called on the President to a virtual dialogue to be conducted on the X space forum on either July 4 or July 5, 2024.
