Too little, too late...

Young Kenyans defiant as they stage protests.

Kenyan police fired teargas at small groups of demonstrators in the capital, Nairobi. yesterday, AFP journalists saw, a day after President William Ruto agreed to scrap contentious tax hikes and called for dialogue following deadly protests.

The unrest this month, led largely by Gen Z Kenyans, caught authorities off-guard, as Ruto's government ricocheted between taking a tough line on the protests and issuing entreaties for dialogue.

Dozens of protesters made their way to Nairobi's central business district yesterday, with soldiers deployed and police in antiriot gear blocking access along roads leading to State House Ruto's office - and parliament, according to AFP journalists on the scene.

They saw officers firing teargas at protesters in small groups and arresting three people, as local TV showed isolated scuffles.

Many shops remained shuttered as traders worried about further unrest.

Protesters also rallied in the port city of Mombasa and the opposition bastion of Kisumu, with some blocking roads and lighting bonfires in the lakeside city.

After dramatic scenes outside parliament on Tuesday saw the partly ablaze complex ransacked by protesters, with police opening fire on them, Ruto made a surprise U-turn on the tax hikes.