UPDATE: ONE CONFIRMED DEAD AFTER THURSDAY'S TAX PROTESTS IN KENYAN CAPITAL

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Amnesty International claims a demonstrator was shot during Thursday’s large-scale protests over proposed tax hikes in the Kenyan capital, which resulted in the death of a man, according to police.

The protests, which were mainly spearheaded by Gen-Z Kenyans, started earlier this week in Nairobi and soon spread throughout the country. Many people were already experiencing a crisis due to rising costs of living, so they were further incensed over President William Ruto’s economic policies.

While most of Thursday’s protests in Nairobi were nonviolent, police used water cannons and tear gas throughout the day to try to scatter the crowds who had assembled to demonstrate in front of the parliament.

“We received information yesterday about the death of a demonstrator, an investigation is under way, our agents are on the ground to investigate,” the Independent Policing Oversight Authority told AFP on Friday.

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According to a police report seen by AFP, a 29-year-old man was taken to hospital in Nairobi’s central district at around 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) “unconscious with a thigh injury” before “succumbing” to his injuries, without giving further details.

Mathias Kinyoda, spokesman for Amnesty International Kenya, told AFP that “one demonstrator was shot yesterday in the CBD (central business district) as he was trying to run away from the police”.