Shoot and maim, not kill, Ruto orders police over violent protests

An anti-riot police officer captured in motion during the July 7, 2025 Saba Saba protests in Nairobi. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

President William Ruto has directed security agencies to firmly deal with those looting and vandalising businesses during protests.

Speaking in Kilimani during the lauch of Affordabe housing project, Ruto said such people should be shot and taken to court.

"Mtu ambaye anenda kuchoma mali ya watu an kupiga polisi, mtu kama huyo apigwe risasi ya mguu, apelekwe hospitalini kisha kortini. Wasimue lakini wapige mguu ivunjike, apelekwe kortini," the President said.

This loosely translates to, "Anyone who vandalises any property and attacks a police officer should be shot in the leg, taken to hospital and court of law. He should not be killed but break the leg and take to court."

Ruto said as a president he cannot sit back and allow the country slide into anarchy as goons take advantage to loot and vandalise people's property.

"Mtu anamka kwake anachukua moto akachome mali ya mwingine..... apana hio siwezi kubali. Kwa hivyo askari asipge mwananch risasi kuua, lakini mwalifu ashughulikiwe," he said.

(Someone wakes from their place, takes fire to vandalise another person's property....that should not be allowed. Therefore, police should not shoot innocent people but must deal firmly with the looters)

The president said his commitment is to see Kenyans to go on with their daily business undeterred.

He emphasised that while the Constitution protects the right to protest, criminal acts such as theft, arson, and vandalism cannot be tolerated.

The President's statement comes amid heightened political unrest and public demonstrations triggered by broader dissatisfaction with the rising cost of living.

While many protests have been peaceful, several have turned violent, with businesses looted, property destroyed, and clashes reported between demonstrators and the police with criminal elements taking advantage of the situation.

In Nairobi's Central Business District, Kisumu, and Mombasa, dozens of shops and supermarkets have been looted or vandalized. Small business owners and informal traders have lamented heavy losses, with some saying they may never recover.

President Ruto's directive reflects a nuanced shift in government policy away from the deadly crackdown that characterised previous protests, and towards what he described as "measured force."

His remarks appear designed to address both rising public concern over police brutality and the outcry from business owners whose premises have been targeted.

Kenya's police service has often come under criticism from civil society groups and human rights bodies for the use of excessive force during demonstrations.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) recently reported at least 23 deaths and over 100 injuries related to the ongoing protests, sparking calls for police accountability.

But Ruto insisted that while excessive force should be avoided, there must be consequences for lawlessness.

"We cannot be a country where people just wake up, burn shops, loot stores and walk away scot-free. That is not democracy, it is criminality," he said.