By Jane Mugambi

Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) officers on Thursday filled Nairobi City’s Central Business District to maintain law and order even as hundreds of protesters took to the streets.

The KDF officers were seen patrolling the streets including Moi Avenue, armed and in military vehicles.

A convoy of land cruisers and armored personnel carriers (APCs) were also seen snaking their way through Uhuru highway earlier, while others were stationed at the Nyayo stadium.

Demonstrations were still going on despite President William Ruto withdrawing signing the contentious 2024 finance bill.

Police used teargas, rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators ; in Kisumu seven people are nursing gun wounds while two police officers were injured.

Migori Director of Medical Services Dr Dan Ochiel, stated that the individuals were receiving treatment at the county referral hospital.

This comes after Members of Parliament on Wednesday morning approved the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces officers within the country to restore order after deadly protests, a move that has been challenged by the Law society of Kenya.

Wrangled protestors torched constituency buildings to the MP’s who voted Yes.

The House voted to approve a motion by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah hours after Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale gazette their KDF deployment.

In a gazette notice dated June 25, the Defence CS cited Article 241 (3) (b) of Kenya’s constitution to declare the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces in support of the National Police Service.

Among the areas now under the tight guard of KDF are State Houses which include Nairobi, Nakuru and Mombasa and also lodges across the country.

Military presence has also been witnessed at late Jomo Kenyatta’s mausoleum next to parliament.

The soldiers will support the Kenya Police Service to restore normalcy across the country after anti-Finance Bill protests turned tragic on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, anti-government protestors scaled the National assembly premises where they had lunch before destroying equipments, some made away with the mase, computers that were used during voting time and the emblem and destroyed the perimeter wall.

The Tuesday protests made the Kenyan president Dr. William Ruto lecture protestors where he called them terrorists

Why trying to justify the reason for high taxing, he said that when he took office 20 months ago, the country did not have money, Kenyans faced high cost of living.

Kenya’s President William Ruto while addressing the country said he will not sign the contentious bill, instead it was returned to parliament for amendments.

During the state of the nation address, the president divulged that so far the Kenya EuroBond of 2 billion dollars has been paid with the last payment of  $500 million being made the previous week stating that at the moment, the Kenyan debt burden is sustainable.

The contentious 2024 finance bill passed through public participation and that some of the taxes dropped were on sanitary pads, diapers, bread.

Wednesday’s presser the president said that he concede and will not sign the 2024 finance bill and that he is ready for dialogue.

The Pentecostal church pastors met the president at the state house, had dialogue with the president to listen to Kenyans so as to avert more protests and damage on properties.

Ruto said he would now start a dialogue with Kenyan young people, without going into details, and work on austerity measures – starting with cuts to the budget of the presidency – to make up the difference in the country’s finances.

Protestors have been urged not to destroy public properties.