The deceased was said to have participated in a protest in the capital, Nairobi, on Thursday evening, when thousands of people took to the streets across the country.
The protest was reportedly due to a parliamentary debate and vote on the controversial law.
According to a lawyer representing the family, the man was shot in the leg by police and died as a result of massive blood loss. The man was not given immediate health attention for more than 20 minutes.
One of the protest leaders called for people to come on Friday to the morgue of the hospital where the deceased lay in a show of solidarity with his parents.
The human rights organisation, Amnesty International reported that at least 200 people had been injured during Thursday’s protests in Nairobi alone.
Given the new tax law, many Kenyans fear that their cost of living will rise to an almost unmanageable level. Entrepreneurs and business owners also fear significant losses due to declining purchasing power.