At least 10 people were hospitalised with gunshot injuries during rallies in Kenya on Wednesday.

The rallies were to mark the first anniversary of protests against a tax bill that turned deadly in the East African country. It was not immediately clear who had shot them.

Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets earlier in the day to commemorate demonstrations in 2024 that left at least 60 people dead and culminated in the storming of the national parliament.

Local TV stations said police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in the capital, Nairobi and blocked incoming traffic towards the central business district, the epicentre of the protests.

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However, Kenyan police spokesperson, Muchiri Nyaga, did not respond to a request for comment on the gunshot injuries.

Although in 2024, the protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger over the use of excessive force by security agencies has not abated, with fresh demonstrations opening a new tab this month over the death of a blogger in police custody.

Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty.

On Wednesday, a source at Nairobi’s Kenyatta National Hospital told journalists that the facility had received 11 patients with gunshot injuries.