After initially peaceful protests, anger and violence exploded in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Tuesday as hundreds of demonstrators stormed the parliament building in the afternoon with the president later blaming "a group of organized criminals."
Parts of the building were set on fire and furniture destroyed, while members of parliament (MPs) fled the building through underground corridors, according to media reports. Television pictures showed fences being pushed down.
In a televised address Tuesday evening, Kenyan President William Ruto blamed "a group of organized criminals" for the storming of parliament.
Legitimate and peaceful protests had been "infiltrated and hijacked," Ruto said.
"Kenya experienced an unprecedented attack on its democracy, rule of law and the integrity of its ... institutions," said Ruto.
"Today's events mark a critical turning point on how we respond to grave threats to our national security." The government had mobilized all the resources at its disposal to ensure that the incidents were not repeated, Ruto added.
Defence Minister Aden Duale announced in the evening that the military would be deployed to support the police.
The protests were sparked by a highly controversial tax law that was put to the vote in parliament on Tuesday. Many people fear that the law will further increase the cost of living. Churches and business representatives have also spoken out against the law.
Since Tuesday morning, thousands of people across Kenya have been demonstrating against the legislation.
By the afternoon, the protests had escalated into chaos, violence, looting and arson.
In several cities, buildings belonging to members of parliament who voted in favour of the law were set on fire. According to Kenyan human rights groups, at least two people were killed during the unrest.
According to unconfirmed reports, the number of fatalities could be significantly higher. Participants in the protests reported eight to 10 deaths on social media, but no official figures were available by the early evening.
Ruto also spoke of the loss of life in his speech without confirming figures.
Hospitals and medical organisations reported numerous injuries, but were unable to give a total figure.
There were also reports from other parts of the country of looting and burning vehicles, as well as peaceful demonstrations.
The protests began in a peaceful manner on Tuesday morning. As in the previous week, the police, who had cordoned off the streets around the parliament building, cracked down on the demonstrators. In addition to tear gas and water cannon, they also used live ammunition.
Several human rights organizations have sharply criticized the actions of the security forces on several occasions.
Journalists and lawyers were also attacked and obstructed in their work, they said. Kenyan media organizations reported in the afternoon that they had been threatened with closure by government officials for reporting on the protests.
The protest movement that has formed over the past two weeks is mainly characterized by young people who have organized themselves via social media.
Kenya has a high level of youth unemployment. Even many well-educated college or university graduates are unable to find work.
Since taking office two years ago, Ruto has introduced a series of new taxes in order to improve the East African country's strained financial situation.
In view of the further tax burdens now planned, many Kenyans fear an almost unmanageable increase in their cost of living, while entrepreneurs and businesspeople expect significant losses in the face of declining purchasing power.
Following violent demonstrations, the German Foreign Office has called on German visitors and Germans living in the East African country to exercise increased caution via its crisis preparedness list.
Further violent protests are to be expected in the coming days, it said in an email sent on Tuesday evening.