President Ruto orders police to shoot looters and vandals in the leg during protests.
President William Ruto has come under intense fire after instructing law enforcement officers to shoot in the leg anyone caught looting or vandalising property during protests, saying Kenya will not tolerate destruction under his administration.
Speaking at the launch of a police housing project in Kilimani, Nairobi, Ruto said officers should act with firmness, not lethality.
“Anyone who burns down someone else’s business or property, let them be shot in the leg and go to the hospital on their way to court,” Ruto said.
“Do not kill them, but shoot and break their legs.”
Ruto’s remarks come after the June 25 anti-Finance Bill protests that turned deadly, with 31 people reportedly killed and over 100 injured, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
Human rights organisations accuse the police of using live bullets, forceful abductions, and torture during the crackdown on protesters across more than 15 countries.
The president warned that the government would deal harshly with political leaders he claims are financing the chaos.
“It is leaders financing youth to carry out those acts, and we are coming after you!”
He further said that attacking police stations or officers is terrorism, vowing that it will be treated as a declaration of war.
“Kenya will not be governed by violence or terror,” he warned.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had echoed a similar hardline stance earlier, telling police:
“Why should someone trying to steal firearms be spared? Firearms are not doughnuts!”
Ruto’s directive has triggered fierce criticism from civil society, legal experts, and opposition leaders, who argue that it opens the door to extrajudicial punishment.
They say protesters should be arrested and charged, not maimed, adding that such rhetoric violates both domestic and international law on the use of force.
“This is an irresponsible and dangerous endorsement of violence by the head of state,” a civil rights group spokesperson said.
As Kenyans grapple with soaring costs, rising unemployment, and worsening governance, protests have morphed into widespread frustration with the state. The government is now under growing pressure to uphold constitutional rights and ensure accountability.
With 2027 elections on the horizon, the political temperature continues to rise, and Ruto’s tough-talking strategy may fuel even greater resistance if not matched with real reforms and open dialogue.
