In tongue wagging move, President Ruto last week directed security agencies to deal decisively with those looting and destroying property during protests by shooting them in the leg.
“Anyone who vandalises any property and attacks a police officer should be shot in the leg, taken to the hospital and court of law. He should not be killed, but break his leg and take him to court,” said the President.
Few days later Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen admitted that in the violent wave of protests witnessed across the country, 42 Kenyans regrettably lost their lives, and close to 600 were injured. Out of these injuries, 496 were law enforcement officers.
President William Ruto has maintained that police will not take responsibility for protesters killed or injured during demonstrations.
The president instead accused some opposition leaders of inciting the youth to engage in political violence and cautioned parents against abdicating their parental responsibilities.
Ruto said the recent spate of destruction of property and looting during demonstrations to poor upbringing and declared the State will not ‘babysit’ dissidents.
Head of State said rogue political leaders who have no agenda for the country had resulted in inciting the youth into violence and acts of lawlessness, hoping to ride on the tides of anarchy and disorder.
The head of state remained adamant that the State will not take responsibility for any harm the protesters may encounter in the hands of the law enforcers.