The demonstrators are calling for a “total shutdown” of the country in a bid to pressure President Ruto to step down.
According to several sources, the protests have been verified in at least 23 out of 47 counties in Kenya.
In Kitengela and Mombasa, police fired repeatedly in the direction of protesters, some of whom were throwing rocks, Reuters TV footage showed. The protesters also burned tyres, waved Kenyan flags and chanted, “Ruto must go!”
According to Reuters, the clash between law enforcement and protesters has resulted in the death of at least one person, who reportedly died from a head injury.
Reuters reporters on the ground described the protests as probably the biggest since Ruto withdrew the tax increases on June 26.
The national police spokesperson refrained from providing comments about the protest including the death of the individual whose body was lying on the ground with blood oozing from a head wound.
More than 50 people have been killed in the protests to date, according to the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
Images on Kenyan television channels showed demonstrators in the coastal city of Mombasa waving palm fronds as they marched, while litter burned in the street.
