Five Ghanaian lawmakers and a clerk found themselves in the midst of chaos as protestors besieged the Kenyan Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
The MPs involved are Emmanuel Gyamfi, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Thomas Ampem, Sylvester Tetteh, and Mohammed Tuferu.
Hundreds of anti-Finance Bill protesters stormed the Parliament building hours after police shot several demonstrators outside.
The protesters also set fire to several police vehicles, escalating the tension around the legislature.
This unprecedented event in Kenya’s history saw protesters breaking barriers and accessing the Parliament despite heavy security.
The chaos erupted shortly after MPs voted to approve the Finance Bill, 2024, which imposes new taxes.
The Ghanaian parliamentarians, part of the Local Government Committee, were in Kenya on a study visit along with counterparts from Namibia and Malawi.
They were present in Parliament when the protesters broke in.
“We are safe in Nairobi. We were lucky to escape unhurt today. We, however, inhaled a bit of teargas. We had to be escorted to a bunker and later to a safer place,” Nii Lantey Vanderpuye reported.
Kasapafmonline.com/Kojo Ansah
