Amnesty International has condemned Kenyan President William Ruto’s recent remarks urging security forces to shoot protesters, warning that such rhetoric risks fuelling further bloodshed amid growing nationwide unrest.
Last week’s demonstrations, led mostly by young people angered by economic hardship and governance failures, turned deadly as rights organisations reported at least 38 fatalities—the highest toll recorded since the protests erupted.
President Ruto, addressing the escalating chaos, suggested that those involved in violent acts during the rallies should be shot in the leg. Amnesty International, however, criticised his stance as a direct violation of both Kenyan and international law.
Irungu Houghton, the organisation’s Kenya director, described Ruto’s comments as unlawful and dangerous, cautioning that endorsing violence against civilians would only inflame tensions at a moment when dialogue is most needed.
“It is extremely dangerous for politicians to instruct police officers… on how to conduct policing during protests,” he said.
Irungu said such orders “would escalate the levels of violence” through “greater conflict between police officers, protesters, bystanders, counter-protesters, and even criminals and bullies”.
Rights groups have previously warned about the presence of armed men during protests and noted reports suggesting that some operate alongside police officers.
Kenyan police have repeatedly denied the allegations.
International criticism has also mounted, with the United Nations urging restraint.
Kenya’s recent wave of protests has come under intense scrutiny following a damning new report by the Police Reforms Working Group, a coalition of national and grassroots rights organisations including Amnesty International.
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Released on Tuesday, the report paints a grim picture of the demonstrations, describing them as marred by excessive state force and unlawful policing. Investigators documented instances where officers used live bullets against unarmed civilians, carried out extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and made widespread arbitrary arrests.
“These findings reveal grave allegations of illegal actions and extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by suspected police personnel,” the report stated, adding that over 500 people, including officers themselves, sustained injuries during the protests.
The National Police Service, however, dismissed the claims as untrue, labelling them part of a “false narrative”.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, while addressing the allegations on Tuesday, assured the public that any cases of excessive force would be investigated, emphasising that no law grants officers immunity to commit crimes or take lives.
Murkomen further disclosed plans to release a new policy directive this Friday to regulate officers’ use of force and firearms.
The interior ministry revealed that security forces arrested more than 1,500 people during the last two protest cycles, with 71 suspects currently under investigation by the anti-terror unit.
Amid the chaos, Kenya witnessed widespread looting and destruction of property, leaving businesses shuttered and workers at home fearing violence. While the report estimated economic losses could exceed 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings ($14 million), it stopped short of providing detailed calculations.