President William Ruto has stated that he does not regret ordering the police to shoot Kenyans in the leg during the anti-government protests.

Speaking on Al Jazeera, Ruto said he had no regrets about his “shoot the leg” directive.

Ruto stated that the Constitution allows the police to use force when the lives of other Kenyans are in danger.

He said the police understand their roles and the scope of work

“I do not regret those comments at all because the law allows the police to use force when other people’s lives are in danger. The police know what they need to do and understand what is in their purview,” Ruto said.

Ruto said the police had a difficult time since the protests brought people with different agendas.

He mentioned that there were genuine protesters infiltrated by criminals who rode on demonstrations to commit criminal acts.

“There are many aspects of that protest. There are people who genuinely are there to express their opinions but there are also criminal elements. People who come to burn buildings, destroy properties, steal from all manner of places,” he said.

Ruto Condemns Protests

President Ruto said the public condemned the unrest, arguing that what was happening was not peaceful protests but acts of looting and criminality.

He added that police officers were forced to strike a balance between confronting hardened criminals and managing genuine protesters.

“The public went up in arms because they said these are not protests, this is looting and criminality. The police had to balance between dealing with hard criminals and managing protests,” Ruto added.

Also Read: Museveni Pressures Ruto Over Deaths of Ugandan Soldiers and Experts

Ordering the Police

In the same interview, Ruto distanced himself from the  “shoot the leg” arguing that the law does not allow him to issue any orders to the police.

He reiterated that the National Police Service operates independently and does not take directions from the executive.

Also Read: Ruto Reveals Government Officer He Speaks to Before Going to Bed

Ruto Criticizes the Media

Ruto said the media is also independent in Kenya, and they are free to write everything, including lies.

“There is nowhere in the law that allows me to order the police. The media is independent in Kenya, and they write all manner of stuff,” he said.

“They say all manner of things about me. They are free to lie and channel falsehoods. That is them.”

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Protesters in Nairobi CBD in June of 2024. PHOTO/Edwin Hinda.