Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his second speech to the nation in two days, Izvestia reported.

He said he had no intention of leaving the capital and would replace Nursultan Nazarbayev as head of the republic's Security Council as of tomorrow.

Tokayev said the authorities would act harshly against offenders.

Protests in Kazakhstan began on January 4 and are still ongoing. On January 2, residents of the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau took to the streets calling for lower fuel prices.

On January 5, protesters broke into the administration building in Alma-Ata and the city hall caught fire. Protesters in Almaty also set fire to the prosecutor's office and the office of the ruling party. In addition, protesters seized the presidential residence in Almaty. There are also clashes between protesters and police in the city center.