Kenya's President William Ruto has instructed police forces to shoot protesters in the legs if they attack businesses or private property. The statement comes in the wake of nationwide anti-government protests that have left at least 31 people dead and more than 100 injured, according to Kenya's National Commission on Human Rights.

"Anyone caught burning another person's business or property should be shot in the leg, hospitalized, and later taken to court," Ruto said. He emphasized that protesters should be disabled, not killed, but insisted the government would not tolerate what he described as attempts to destabilize the country.

UN Condemns Use Of Lethal Force

The UN expressed alarm over the growing death toll and criticized the Kenyan police for deploying "lethal ammunition" against demonstrators. Rights groups have also reported cases of arbitrary arrests, looting, and destruction of public and private property. A 12-year-old child was reportedly killed by a stray bullet in Kiambu, near Nairobi.

Police confirmed 11 deaths while rights organizations and local media reported 31 fatalities across 17 of Kenya’s 47 counties. The protests, held on the anniversary of the pro-democracy Saba Saba movement, initially focused on tax hikes and economic hardship but quickly escalated into broader anti-government unrest.

Ruto Defends Police, Blames Opposition

Defending the police response, Ruto called the protests an attempt to unlawfully remove his government from power. “This country will not be ruled through threats, terror, or chaos,” he said, calling on opponents to wait for the 2027 elections.

The president also accused the opposition of sponsoring the violence and claimed they had deployed criminal gangs disguised as protesters. Opposition leaders, in turn, accused the government of sending armed men in unmarked vehicles to incite violence and suppress dissent.

They called for a national boycott of businesses linked to Ruto’s administration and pledged to resist what they describe as “a hostile regime.”