Police officers stationed in Nairobi's Central Business District have arrested several Kenyans protesting against the Finance Bill 2024.

Uniformed and plainclothes officers handcuffed demonstrators wearing black T-shirts and forced them into a stationary police van.

Protesters were heard shouting slogans opposing the contentious Finance Bill 2024, which proposes harsh taxes on Kenyans already facing economic hardship.

"Down, down Finance Bill! Kenyans, why am I being arrested? Do not accept this Finance Bill," chanted a handcuffed man wearing a black shirt as he was escorted by police near the Kencom building in Nairobi.

At the Kenya National Archives, officers were seen bundling more protesters into a police van.

"Why are you arresting me? We are peaceful people," detainees pleaded with the officers.

This heavy deployment of armed officers, both in uniform and civilian clothes, followed a call by Kenyans online to protest on Tuesday, June 18.

Many Kenyans united under the hashtags #RejectFinanceBill2024 and #OccupyParliament to express their anger at the punitive tax proposals before the National Assembly.

Netizens sought to pressure Members of Parliament to reject the controversial bill, which they claimed would tax Kenyans excessively.

Their plan to march to the National Assembly and deliver their message in person was thwarted by the heavy police presence cordoning off the legislative building.

Nairobi Regional Commander Adamson Bungei dismissed the protest plans, stating that the organizers had not applied for the necessary licenses to picket or hold peaceful demonstrations in Nairobi.