Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has sharply criticised President William Ruto’s administration over its recent shoot-to-kill directives targeting individuals linked to violent protests, warning that such orders undermine the rule of law and violate constitutional rights.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader called for restraint and urged the government to prioritise lawful arrests and court proceedings instead of endorsing extrajudicial tactics.
“As a country, we must at all times opt for the Rule of Law and due process and reject the temptation to give police illegitimate and deadly powers over citizens even when the citizens are perceived to have broken the law,” Raila stated.
His remarks come just days after President Ruto publicly instructed police officers to shoot looters in the leg during anti-government protests. “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. Yes, let them not kill, but shoot and break the legs,” the President said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen echoed the President’s hardline stance in a separate incident, instructing police to open fire on anyone attempting to approach or attack police stations. “Anyone who gets near a police station, shoot them. Why should someone who wants to steal firearms be spared? Firearms are not doughnuts!” Murkomen declared.
The escalating rhetoric has drawn backlash from civil society and opposition leaders, who view the directives as dangerous and unconstitutional.
Raila underscored the importance of upholding suspects’ rights and warned that a militarised approach to law enforcement risks plunging the country into deeper instability. “A militarised approach to policing endangers both the suspect and the law enforcement officers,” he said.
“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 further stressed that government credibility rests on respecting human rights. “Let us prioritise arrests and arraignment in courts over killing, maiming or brutalising of suspects. This preserves the dignity and respects the human rights of suspects while at the same time confers credibility to the actions of the State.”
Raila’s statement follows growing public concern over state-sanctioned violence during recent demonstrations. The fatal shooting of hawker Boniface Kariuki during the June 17 protests, allegedly by police, reignited calls for accountability and heightened scrutiny of the government’s response to civil unrest.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Belgut MP Nelson Koech, who chairs the National Assembly Defence Committee, openly called for lethal force. “I want to thank President William Ruto for saying yesterday shoot but do not kill. I want to repeat it here. In fact, shoot and kill,” Koech said. “You cannot have someone coming after your life and you do not want to shoot and kill.”
The opposition and human rights groups have demanded the retraction of such remarks, warning they could embolden police brutality and worsen tensions in the country.
