At least 39 killed in Kenya’s anti-tax protests, says rights watchdog

Toll of dead and injured at anti-government rallies where police opened fire is almost double earlier figure disclosed

At least 39 people have been killed and hundreds more injured in anti-government demonstrations in Kenya, the national rights watchdog has said, as activists geared up for a new round of protests this week.

The toll announced by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is almost double the figure previously disclosed by the authorities for those killed while contesting a set of unpopular tax increases that have now been withdrawn.