President William Ruto of Kenya has re-emphasized that protests over tax hikes will no longer be allowed after 15 people were killed in the recent demonstrations.

He faulted the opposition for employing bloodshed, protests and destruction of property as a means of seeking leadership.

Raila Odinga and his opposition party had called for three more days of rallies starting next Wednesday over tax hikes signed into law by President Ruto last month.

Ruto defeated Odinga in the August election. He promised to lead a government that would favour the masses but critics fear the tax increases will affect Kenyans who are already struggling to afford basic necessities like maize flour.

The protests have been destructive in some parts with Kenyan officials blaming the deaths on demonstrators, some of whom threw rocks at police officers and vandalized public property. More than 300 people were arrested in connection with the protests on Wednesday.

In a related development, a spokesman for the U.N. Human Rights Office (OHCHR), Jeremy Laurence, said on Friday it was “very concerned by the widespread violence, and allegations of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, including the use of firearms, by police during protests in Kenya”.

Protests have erupted in Kenya in response to the national government’s proposed tax increases.

Raila Odinga, Kenya’s opposition leader and former prime minister, has led calls for protests in response to the price hikes.

Odinga lost the election in August of last year and feels the results were compromised, leading to civil disobedience rallies against his political competitor.

Reuters