Protests have erupted in parts of Kenya, with hundreds detained by police as citizens rejected planned tax hikes in the East African nation already grappling with escalating living costs.

Activists have called on Kenyans to occupy Parliament in opposition to a new finance bill that is likely to raise the cost of living for many people by increasing taxes on a range of goods and services.

Kenya's government on Tuesday scrapped plans to impose multiple tax hikes, the presidency said, amending a controversial bill that sparked protests where hundreds of demonstrators were arrested. The East African economic powerhouse has struggled with a cost-of-living crisis,

Kenyan police fired tear gas and arrested at least a dozen demonstrators Tuesday as hundreds of people gathered near parliament to protest tax hikes, according to AFP journalists at the scene. Hundreds of black-clad protesters marched towards parliament in the capital Nairobi's business district but were kept back by police officers lobbing tear gas at the crowds.