Kenyan police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in Nairobi on Tuesday as nationwide demonstrations against proposed tax hikes began.

The organizers have called for a general strike against the finance bill, which aims to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes to manage public debt that has grown significantly over the past decade.

President William Ruto, who won the election nearly two years ago by promising to support Kenya’s working poor, now faces challenges. He says that a heavy debt load, where interest payments consume 37 percent of annual revenue, limits his ability to fulfill some promises.

Caught between the demands of lenders like the International Monetary Fund, which urges deficit reduction, and a population struggling with inflation and last year’s tax increases, Ruto is under pressure.

The protests, led by young Kenyans, have been largely peaceful. However, on Thursday, as crowds grew in Nairobi, anti-riot police used tear gas and water cannons to prevent demonstrators from breaching government offices. One person was killed in what the police oversight board described as “allegedly as a result of police shooting.” Amnesty International and other groups reported that at least 200 people were injured and more than 100 arrested.

The protests spread across the country, including cities like Nakuru, Kisumu, and Eldoret.

The finance bill being debated in parliament includes new levies on digital content creation, a 5 percent tax increase on digital payments, a 16 percent VAT on bread, a 25 percent excise duty on vegetable oil, a 2.75 percent additional income charge for national medical insurance, and a 2.5 percent annual tax on motor vehicles.

Protesters argue that these taxes, especially on bread and vegetable oil, will raise overall costs. They are also concerned that the bill gives revenue authorities the power to enforce tax collection by accessing bank and mobile money accounts.

President Ruto’s government has warned against violence and insists that protests must end by 6:30 PM local time. Critics blame the government for the violence that has affected the protests so far.