Amnesty Slams Ruth’s ‘Shoot Protesters’ Remark as Kenya Reels from Deadly Unrest

Amnesty International has sharply criticised Kenyan President William Ruto over his controversial call for protesters to be shot, warning that such remarks could intensify the country’s escalating unrest.

The human rights organisation responded Tuesday to Ruto’s recent statement that protesters “should be shot in the leg” if they engage in violence during anti-government demonstrations. The protests, largely youth-led and sparked by economic frustration, have already claimed at least 38 lives, according to rights groups.

Amnesty’s Kenya Director, Irungu Houghton, condemned the president’s remarks as unlawful and dangerous.

“It is extremely dangerous for politicians to instruct police officers… on how to conduct policing during protests,” Houghton said, warning that such rhetoric could heighten tensions and trigger “greater conflict between police officers, protesters, bystanders, counter-protesters, and even criminals and bullies.”

Concerns have also grown over reports of armed individuals mingling with security forces during the protests—an allegation Kenyan police have denied.

A new report released Tuesday by the Police Reforms Working Group—a coalition that includes Amnesty and several grassroots organisations—accused security forces of using unlawful force against demonstrators. The report documented incidents of live ammunition being fired at unarmed civilians, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and mass arrests.

“The evidence points to serious allegations of unlawful conduct and extrajudicial killings by individuals suspected to be police officers,” the report said, noting that over 500 people, including officers and civilians, have been injured in the unrest.

While the National Police Service dismissed the claims as part of a “false narrative,” Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on Tuesday that alleged police abuses during the protests would be investigated.

“There is no law that excuses a police officer to commit crimes or kill people,” Murkomen stated, adding that he would issue a policy directive on police use of force and firearms by Friday.

The interior ministry also confirmed that more than 1,500 people had been arrested in connection with the recent demonstrations, including 71 individuals now being handled by the anti-terror unit.

Although the protests have triggered widespread looting and forced businesses to shut down, rights groups argue the response from security forces has been disproportionate. The report estimates economic losses from the unrest could be as high as 1.1 billion Kenyan Shillings (about $14 million).