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Defiance on the streets of Nairobi met with water cannons and tear gas. All across Kenya, protesters their government back down on a controversial bill which is expected to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes.

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We are here to question the government, Cut on your expenditure. Do not overtax us.

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They say the finance bill will choke the economy and raise the cost of living at a time when Kenyans already struggle to make ends meet.

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We can't even afford diapers for the kids anymore. There are no vaccines in the hospitals for the children. We need this government to do something, and we can't just be bringing all our problems away.

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According to human rights groups, the protests, dubbed Occupy Parliament, have led to more than 100 arrests. They say 200 people have been injured and at least one person killed. He was Gillian Munyao's 29-year-old son, Rex Kanike Masai. She was told a plaincloth officer shot him while he was running away from tear gas. If someone is fighting for their rights, she says, why use live bullets?

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We're fighting for our future. We need young people to fight for our future rights, our future Kenya, and to just overthrow this silly government, man. We're tired.

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In a joint statement, rights groups calling for police to, quote, desist from the use of excessive force, intimidation, an arbitrary and unlawful arrests of Kenyans.

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We are not going to sit at home so that they are going to pass another finance bill without our approval.

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But President William Ruto has continued to push for the bill, arguing that Kenyans have been undertaxed.

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Kenyans have been socialized to believe that they pay the highest taxes. We are way below... Our taxes are way below those of our peers.

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The public outcry has forced the government to withdraw some of the most contentious proposals, including a 16 % tax on bread and an annual 2.5 % tax on vehicles. But the people say that is not enough.

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Scrape the entire thing to answer from scratch.

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Despite the widespread anti-tax protest, the bill did pass its second reading in Parliament yesterday, which means it's going ahead for the next stage of approval. Next week, a committee will vote on proposed changes to the bill.

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Thanks for watching. Stay updated about updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC news app or follow us on social media.