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| President William Ruto |
President William Ruto has stood by his controversial remarks urging police officers to shoot violent protesters in the leg, insisting that the directive was lawful and necessary to protect lives and property.
Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, November 9, Ruto said he had no regrets about the statement and defended the actions of law enforcement, maintaining that the police are empowered by law to use force when public safety is threatened.
“I do not regret those comments at all, because the law allows the police to use force when other people’s lives are in danger,” Ruto said. “The police know what they need to do. And the police, by the way, understand that it is within their purview.”
The Head of State added that the National Police Service (NPS) operates independently, emphasizing that his remarks were not an instruction but his view on how to handle violent demonstrations.
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| Kenya Police officers |
“The police are independent, and there is nowhere in the law where I have the power to direct the police,” he said.
Ruto explained that while he respects the right to peaceful protest, some demonstrations have been hijacked by criminal elements involved in looting and property destruction.
He said police must balance between safeguarding peaceful protesters and stopping acts of violence.
“There are people who genuinely are there to express their opinions, but there are also criminal elements who come to burn down buildings, destroy property, and steal. The police have had to balance between dealing with violent criminals and managing protests,” Ruto stated.
The President’s comments revisit a debate that began in July when he told police officers to shoot in the legs anyone found vandalizing or torching businesses during protests.
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| President William Ruto |
“Someone who goes to burn another person’s business or destroy their livelihood should be shot in the legs, taken to the hospital, and then to court,” Ruto said during the launch of the Police Housing Project at Kilimani Police Station in Nairobi.
The remarks sparked mixed reactions nationwide, with human rights groups condemning the statement as an endorsement of excessive force, while others supported it as a deterrent against destruction of property.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen later clarified that officers must use their firearms lawfully and only in self-defense, following criticism over earlier “shoot to kill” comments.
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| Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen |
In the Al Jazeera interview, Ruto also addressed concerns about police misconduct, citing existing disciplinary frameworks within the service.
“We have thousands of police officers, and you cannot miss a rogue one. That is why we have laws to deal with such elements,” he said.
He added that the media remain free to report and express opinions about his administration’s handling of protests.
“The media are independent, and they write whatever they think they can write. They say all manner of things which I do not agree with, but they have a right to say them,” Ruto said.
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