President William Ruto on Thursday had a phone conversation with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
As detailed by the Office of the US Secretary of State, their conversation revolved around the Gen Z protests and the conduct of the police during the protests.
It was noted that the US official underscored the importance of preserving the freedom to protest as prescribed in the Constitution of Kenya.
The US also acknowledged that Ruto had pledged to have officers who contravened the law and used excessive force to face the law.
The Secretary of State also emphasised that the government respects the role of civil societies in Kenya's democracy.
Notably, the call came days after the government accused the Ford Foundation of sponsoring the anti-government demonstrations. The US-based foundation denied the allegations.
"The Secretary underscored the importance of freedoms of assembly and expression as enshrined in Kenya’s constitution, emphasised the vital role played by youth and civil society organizations in healthy democracies, and urged respect for their contributions to Kenya’s development," read the statement in part.
According to the statement, Ruto committed to direct the police from using excessive force against the protesters.
The police have been accused of making arbitrary arrests, abductions and torturing people in their custody.
"The Secretary commended President Ruto for his pledge of accountability for security forces allegedly involved in protest violence or responsible for disappearances and his commitment to direct police to refrain from using violence of any kind against protesters," read the statement in part.
On the other hand, the ongoing police mission in Haiti was also discussed even as the US pledged to continue supporting the mission.
"The Secretary thanked President Ruto for Kenya’s contributions to the multinational security support mission to Haiti.
"The Secretary reiterated that the United States stands with the Kenyan people as they build a more inclusive and prosperous Kenya," read the statement in part.
