‘Shoot them in the leg’: Kenyan president’s anti-protest rhetoric hardens as death toll rises | Kenya

William Ruto, the president of Kenya, ordered the police to hit the protesters targeting businesses in the legs after the murder of 31 people in anti -government demonstrations throughout the country.

“They shouldn’t kill them, but they should shoot their legs, so they can break and go to the hospital on the way to court,” the capital Nairobi said.

In his most challenging statements about the protest wave on the economic stagnation, corruption and police savagery that sweep the East African country, he accused political opponents of organizing demonstrations and some of them on the streets carried out a “war” in the state.

“Those who attacked our police, attacks on our security men and women, attacking our security installations, including police stations, a statement of war, that is, terrorism,” he said. “We will cope with you tightly. We cannot be a nation ruled by terror.

“This country will not be destroyed by a few people who are impatient and who want to make a change of government by using tools that are contrary to the constitution. This will not happen.”

In the last protests, on Monday, the Kenyans went to the streets to mark it Saba Saba (Seven Seven), the day on July 7, 1990, the Kenyians wanted to return to multi -party democracy after years of autocratic administration under the direction of Daniel Arab Moi.

According to Agent France-Presse, the Kenya National Human Rights National Human Rights Commission, financed by the state, died and reached 51 according to the National National National National National National National National National National National National Education of Kenya, financed by the state.

UNICEF condemned a 12 -year -old girl to be killed with a stray bullet in the house in Kiambu district nine miles away from the capital and the arrest of children during the protests. “Children should always be protected from damage under any circumstances,” the UN Agency said.

The demonstrations began as a youth -based movement against the proposed tax increase in June last year, and quickly expanded to call reform calls and Ruto’s resignation. The government had to withdraw the financial invoice involving the proposed increases, and Ruto rejected almost the entire cabinet to control the situation.

Police murders and kidnapping did very little to evaluate the anger of the people. Last month, the death of a teacher who criticized a senior police official on social media and a man at close range during a later protest was detained in the death of the death of a teacher who was reported to draw attention to the security forces.

Sometimes, protests turned into looting and violence by some protesters and thousands of businesses were destroyed.

Ruto was chosen as promised to improve the welfare of young and ordinary Kenyans, but many of them think that he could not fulfill their economic commitments and responds to the demands of protesters in a toned way.

Ruto’s latest comments reflect the order of the police order from the Minister of Interior Kipchumba Murkomen two weeks ago to hit people approaching people with “criminal intention”.

Opposition leaders, including Ruto’s former assistant and allied Rigathi Gachgua, accused the government of releasing the “hostile” state -backed violence against its citizens. On Tuesday, he called the people to boycott all businesses, services and institutions that have this regime and activists, to boycott all businesses, services and institutions that are affiliated to public.

Ruto accused his allies of imposing violent protests that Gachagua rejected. Gachagua also rejected a plan to overthrow the government by saying the following on Wednesday: uz We want to remove you from the ballot in 2027. ”

Observer says that RUTO should refer him to both a disappointed people and to the younger Kenyans, and a powerful and challenging generation born after the restoration of multi-party democracy, which started in 2003 and led the difficulty of change since last year.

The UN said that during the protests of this week, it was “deeply troubled ve and that the deliberate fatal power of law enforcement officers, including firearms, should only be used when it is necessary to protect life from a close threat.”

Agent France-Presse contributed to this report