Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has strongly criticized recent remarks by President William Ruto and other top government officials advocating the use of force against protesters. In a statement issued on Friday, Odinga decried what he termed a dangerous slide toward authoritarian policing, warning that shoot-to-kill or maim orders violate constitutional rights and erode democratic values.
Odinga specifically condemned Ruto’s controversial directive instructing police officers to shoot looters in the leg during protests. “Let them be shot in the leg and go to the hospital as they head to court,” Ruto had said, emphasizing that property destruction must not be tolerated.
The ODM leader countered this by underscoring the importance of due process. “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,” he stated. Odinga argued that suspects must be treated as innocent until proven guilty, with guilt to be determined by a competent court of law.
The former Prime Minister further warned that militarizing the police force would only breed more violence. “Examples from around the continent show that such an approach increases the risk of conflict,” he said, adding that a violent crackdown threatens both civilians and officers.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Belgut MP Nelson Koech have also stoked controversy with similar remarks. Murkomen, following the violent protests on June 25, told police to shoot anyone who approaches a police station. Koech, who chairs the National Assembly Defence committee, went further, calling for a “shoot-to-kill” directive against violent demonstrators.
Odinga’s intervention comes amid growing national unrest, with civil society and human rights groups increasingly alarmed by what they describe as excessive force used by the state.
He urged the government to prioritize arrests and court proceedings over extrajudicial measures. “This preserves the dignity and respects the human rights of suspects while at the same time confers credibility to the actions of the State,” Odinga concluded.
His remarks highlight a deepening divide over how to handle public dissent and the state’s use of force, as Kenya grapples with a wave of protest-driven unrest.
