Rethinking President Ruto's Shoot-to-kill Orders

 


The president’s recent directive to police on July 9, 2025, following the Saba Saba demonstration, aims to curb violence but leaves uncertainty about who incites looting to discredit the Gen Z protests. Without clear evidence identifying the culprits, whether opportunists or state-sponsored goons, is a tall order. This directive, according to me, risks punishing innocent demonstrators, something that troubles me deeply, as it could escalate an already volatile situation.

Most Gen Z protesters are always driven by frustration over economic hardship and police brutality; they demonstrate peacefully and do not deserve such harsh measures from the government. For instance, Albert Ojwang's case, a blogger who was killed in a police cell last month for criticising police brutality, and Bridget Njoki Wainaina, a civilian who was shot dead by a stray bullet on July 7, 2025, in Nairobi. This shows the tragic loss of innocent people not involved in looting or violence. How can such situations be prevented? Because Bridget Wainaina was not looting, Albert Ojwang was simply criticising the police, but unfortunately he died in police custody! 

As to who incites violence and looting, it complicates this entire situation. Reports suggest possible involvement of hired groups or plainclothes officers, yet no official investigation has confirmed this, not even DCI. This suggests to me that young Kenyans who march with flags and chants like “Ruto must go” won't be at risk under the hands of such plainclothes officers if they don't break the law, as the president said. It also seems to me that we should never see them again in residential areas or on any day of demonstrations. In other words, the focus should shift to identifying and prosecuting the real instigators, such as these hired goons and police in plain clothes, and not merely punishing a generation exercising their constitutional right to protest.

Our president should tone down and avoid rhetoric; he should be more presidential in his demeanour amid this crisis. His statements, including calling attacks on police a “declaration of war”, fuel tension rather than foster dialogue. With the nation watching, he should lead by example; he should engage with Gen Z leaders and address their grievances, like rising taxes and corruption, rather than issuing orders that risk further loss of life. His leadership role demands calmness and accountability, not threats that undermine public trust.

The path forward requires Ruto to reconsider his approach; this country needs law enforcement discipline and respect in the face of peaceful protests. Never again should we watch deaths of innocent people like Ojwang and Wainaina happen, especially in such a manner. I urge the president to protect Kenya’s democratic fabric by listening to the youth and ensuring police orders align with human rights.

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