Kenya protests were infiltrated by criminal gangs, Ruto in CNN interview

President William Ruto during when he met the President of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti Edgard Leblanc Fils in New York. [Ruto, X]

President William Ruto has defended his decision to deploy the military during the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, arguing that the situation could have escalated without their intervention.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday evening, Ruto stated that Kenya is a vibrant democracy where protests are a legitimate form of expression.

"For your information, Kenya is a robustly democratic country, and protests are part of our democracy. People have the freedom to associate and make their voices heard," the Head of State said.

He added that police had to intervene to restore law and order after criminal elements infiltrated the peaceful protests, leading to violence in several parts of the country.

"In addition to the protests, there were criminal gangs in Nairobi that set fire to the Parliament building, the Chief Justice's office, and other properties. Our security agencies had to respond to manage the situation," Ruto explained.

The president also noted that Kenya has independent oversight bodies, such as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), to investigate any instances of police misconduct.

Ruto was responding to Christiane Amanpour's question about whether he regretted deploying security forces against demonstrators protesting high taxes.

On Kenya’s growing debt and economic stability, Ruto said his administration is working with international partners to secure sustainable funding and address the debt crisis.

"As I speak, inflation has decreased from 9 percent to 4.3 percent, and our exchange rate is now stable. We are making progress without overburdening Kenyans," he said.