Kenyan President William Ruto abandoned his 2022 campaign promise to eliminate police brutality when he recently ordered officers to shoot violent demonstrators in their legs. The directive came after more than 100 protesters died during anti-government rallies that began last June. Rights organizations documented 38 fatalities during the July 7 demonstration alone. Ruto characterized the protests as attempts to overthrow his administration and labeled attacks on police stations as declarations of war. His government disbanded a notorious police unit in 2023 while pledging to end extrajudicial killings.
Human rights groups recorded over 80 abductions during the past year as cases of forced disappearances increased dramatically. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen instructed police to shoot anyone approaching police stations during a June rally. The United Nations condemned the excessive force used by Kenyan authorities against demonstrators. Rights defenders described the recent Saba Saba protests as the deadliest single day since the movement began. Government officials defended their harsh response by citing property damage and officer injuries during the demonstrations.
Human rights groups recorded over 80 abductions during the past year as cases of forced disappearances increased dramatically. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen instructed police to shoot anyone approaching police stations during a June rally. The United Nations condemned the excessive force used by Kenyan authorities against demonstrators. Rights defenders described the recent Saba Saba protests as the deadliest single day since the movement began. Government officials defended their harsh response by citing property damage and officer injuries during the demonstrations.
