Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has strongly criticised President William Ruto’s controversial directive for police to shoot protesters in the legs during public unrest, warning that such orders violate human rights and the rule of law.
Raila’s statement, issued on Friday, July 11, 2025, came in response to remarks made earlier in the week by President Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, and Belgut MP Nelson Koech, all calling for more aggressive police action against protesters and rioters.
While speaking about the recent wave of Saba Saba protests, President Ruto instructed police officers to shoot looters in the legs instead of killing them.
“Anyone who burns down someone else’s business and property, let them be shot in the leg and go to the hospital as they head to court,” Ruto said on Wednesday. “Let them not be killed, but shoot and break the legs. Destroying people’s property is not right.”
The statement sparked public outrage, with many human rights groups and political figures expressing concern over what they described as an authoritarian shift in law enforcement.
In his response, Raila condemned the remarks, saying such actions “go against the constitutional right to a fair trial.”
“We must always opt for the rule of law and due process, and reject the temptation to give police illegitimate and deadly powers over citizens—even those suspected of breaking the law,” Raila stated.
He urged the government to prioritise arresting and charging suspects in court instead of harming or killing them during demonstrations.
“We are all better served as a country when we stick to the principle that everyone is innocent until proven guilty—a determination that can only be made by a competent court of law,” he said.
Raila further warned that adopting a militarised approach to policing would only escalate violence and undermine public trust in security forces.
“Such an approach endangers both suspects and law enforcement officers and leads to the collapse of democracy,” he added.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen had earlier backed Ruto’s stance, saying:
“Anyone who gets near a police station, shoot them. Why should someone who wants to steal firearms be spared? Firearms are not doughnuts!”
Belgut MP Nelson Koech went a step further, urging police to “shoot and kill” anyone threatening their lives or state property.
“You cannot have someone coming after your life and you do not want to shoot and kill,” said Koech, who chairs the National Assembly Defence Committee.
The ongoing protests have been triggered by rising frustrations over the cost of living, taxation, and alleged government overreach. The response by state security forces has drawn widespread attention from local and international human rights bodies, which have called for restraint and respect for civil liberties.
