Pregnant Akorino model Carey Priscilla joins protest against Finance Bill 2024

Akorino content creator and businesswoman Carey Priscilla has joined Kenyans in protesting the controversial Finance Bill 2024.

Priscilla, who is expecting her third child with her partner Benson Muriu, was seen posing with placards in Nairobi.

One placard read, "Overtaxation = Finance Bill 2024," listing taxes on bread, cancer treatment, and menstrual products among others.

Another placard stated, "Sasa tusinyeshe? #ENDPERIODPOVERTY."

Priscilla expressed her strong opposition to the bill, saying, "Tax policies should never heavily burden ordinary citizens, especially those in vulnerable communities already struggling with inflation and low wages!"

Priscilla and her partner Benson Muriu recently announced they are expecting their third child.

The couple shared the pregnancy news with their fans through a joint Instagram post, saying, "Our prayers have been answered! God has blessed us with baby number 3."

They already have two children, Sky and Ocean. In January last year, Priscilla announced the birth of their second child, Ocean Peter.

The protests, held on June 18, saw a significant turnout of Kenyans using the hashtags #RejectFinanceBill2024 and #OccupyParliament to voice their anger against the proposed tax laws.

Other celebrities, including actress Jackie Matubia, also participated in the protests. Matubia shared a video on Instagram where she was in tears after being teargassed by the police.

"Mimi nimzalendo Leo nimekula teargas…I did it for everyone who couldn’t do it. May our voices as youth of this country be heard… #rejectthefinancebill," she wrote.

Matubia criticized the bill, stating, "Imagine imposing TAX on CANCER TREATMENT!!! On PADS, sasa tusinyeshe?"

Content creator Murugi Munyi also faced tear gas during the protests. She shared her experience on Instagram, recounting the chaotic aftermath:

"We were running. I fell. My cousin came to pick me up. A tear gas canister exploded right next to us. I couldn’t breathe. So I couldn’t run. Before I knew it, a policeman was manhandling me. Now we are at the back of a police van with a man who wasn’t even protesting. He was just entering his car."

A video circulating on social media showed Murugi and other women being led into a police vehicle after their arrest.

Singer Atemi Oyungu was not spared either. She tweeted about being repeatedly teargassed while trying to find cover. "We were so boxed in. Hiding and coming out only to be teargassed again. Si these people could have just allowed us to walk? We weren’t destroying property. We had given ample notice. Get my second dose of teargas after this!" she wrote.

The protests resulted in clashes between demonstrators and police throughout Nairobi's Central Business District.

By the end of the day, numerous protesters, including activists Hanifa Adan and Njeri wa Migwi, were arrested and taken to the Central Police Station.