At least five protesters have been shot dead by police in Kenya and a section of parliament has gone up in flames as demonstrations against new tax proposals escalate.

An angry crowd broke through police lines to storm parliament in the capital Nairobi before setting parts of it ablaze.

In an address on Tuesday evening, President WILLIAM RUTO said all means would be deployed to thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of the country.

He has deployed the military to quell the protests.

Protests against an unpopular finance bill, which includes several tax rises, have been ongoing for days. But they escalated on Tuesday as MPs passed an amended bill.