President of Kenya, William Ruto, has come under increased criticism following his comments to police to shoot protestors in the leg. This follows renewed protests in the East African state over police brutality. A report by the Police Reforms Working Group, a coalition based in Kenya that includes grassroots and national organisations reviewing police conduct, found that the recent marches have been met with unlawful police actions.
Speaking to VOC News, Dr. Jason Muysoka, a political analyst and CEO of the Frontline Group, argued that President Ruto’s statements, as the commander in chief of the armed forces, serve as directives for police officers. This could lead to increased aggression towards protesters, which would only exacerbate an already volatile situation.
“Statements such as what President Ruto gave out were spoken by the commander in chief, which the police have to consider as a legitimate action to take. Keep in mind that this is coming after a lot of deaths at the hands of police,” said Muysoka.
The protests can be traced back to the introduction of the Finance Bill 2024, which proposed higher taxes for the Kenyan populace, including taxes on bank transfers. According to Muysoka, this, combined with President Ruto’s response to his critics, has created an untenable situation in Kenya. He predicts that the current administration will not be able to continue for another term due to its significant unpopularity.
“The popularity of the current regime is extremely low, I think below 20%, and unless something drastic happens, it will be very difficult to continue with the administration after the next general elections, given the current tensions,” added Muysoka.
Listen to the full interview here:
