President William Ruto has backed Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen's sentiments on protest-related violence and issued a stern order for a nationwide crackdown on individuals who attacked police officers during the June 25 demonstrations.
Speaking at the State House in Nairobi, where he had hosted regional and county security chiefs, as well as National Government Administration Officers, the President condemned the violent turn of the protests, vowing to protect officers from criminal mobs.
“We cannot have a country where criminals run after our policemen. If a policeman’s life is in danger, then how can our families be safe? We cannot have a country where police officers are fleeing because their lives are in danger,” Ruto said.
Following these concerns, President Ruto has ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of individuals who attacked police officers during the protests.
“This trend must change. The criminals who attacked our officers and destroyed property in the Wednesday mayhem will be held to account. We will stand by every man and woman in uniform, and protect them as they discharge their duties,” the President ordered.
According to President Ruto, this was the only way the country would have a more secure and stable environment for meaningful developments to occur.
Murkomen sentiments
His sentiments echoed those of the Interior CS, who had described the protests as politically motivated attempts to destabilize the country while calling for action against those fueling unrest.
Murkomen condemned the chaos while defending the police for using force. According to Murkomen, the police have a right to protect themselves against criminals who seek to attack them.
The Interior CS elicited mixed reactions when he gave the police a shoot-to-kill order against all police officers against criminals who attacked police stations to steal guns.
“This gun you’ve been given here, I wasn’t given it, and you weren’t given it for decoration. If someone tries to come to the police station to take guns or to attack you, they want to take your life, save yourself first,” the CS told the police.
These orders come at a time when police have decried that their lives are in danger, as individuals target them during protests. According to data by the Interior Ministry, 300 police officers and 100 civilians were injured during the June 25 commemorative protests.
"It is true that from yesterday's protests there was a particular pattern in particular constituencies, where police stations were being targeted, and I suspect the burning of the police station was meant for the coup plotters to make a statement that there is no longer a country," Murkomen asserted.
