I have no apology on 'shoot-in-the-leg' order, Ruto says

President William Ruto has stirred up a controversy over his directive to police to “shoot protesters in the legs” insisting he has no regrets to make.

Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera, President Ruto defended the order to the police to shoot and main protestors.

“I don't regret those comments at all because the law allows the police to use force when other people's lives are in danger,” he said.

The president’s defiant position comes barely five months after the June 2025 protests that left at least 65 people dead, many from gunshot wounds, and numerous others injured.

Ruto issued the directive on July 9, 2025 following a violent protest.

In his defense of his government's crackdown, Ruto said that the protests were infiltrated by ‘criminal elements’ leading to destruction property.

“There are people who genuinely come to express their opinions. But there are also criminal elements who burn buildings, destroy property, steal from supermarkets. The police have had to balance between dealing with violent criminals and managing protests," he said.

“There are people who genuinely are there to express their opinions but they are also criminal elements. People who come to burn down buildings destroy properties steal from all manner of places supermarkets and many of those,” he said.

“And the public itself went up in arms because they said these are not protests. This is looting. This is criminality. And the police have had to balance between dealing with violent criminals on one end and also managing protests,” Ruto added.

In a quick defense on interference in policing and also pressed over the use of live fire in managing protests, Ruto told the interviewer, “That is according to you. The police understand that it is within their purview. That is why when I came into office I made sure that the police were independent.”

The president also rejected claims that his administration has suppressed press freedom, despite reports that live coverage of demonstrations was stopped.

“It never happened. Media is independent in Kenya. They write all manner of stuff… I don’t agree with what they say, but they have the right to say it,” he added.

However, Ruto acknowledged that there are rogue elements in any police service. On the case of Albert Ojwang, a teacher and a blogger who died in police custody earlier this year, Ruto said the act was ‘unacceptable’ and that those responsible are behind bars.

“We have a police force of 110,000. You will not miss elements within the police who are rogue. And as and when we identify the rogue ones, we deal with them.”

“In this particular case. When it was discovered that what they told the country was not right, the correct investigations were done and those who are involved have been brought to book,” said the president.

At the same time, Ruto dismissed claims that of enforced disappearances adding that his government is committed to eliminate the trend.

"I can tell you none of those people. I have told people who claim that so-and-so has disappeared to step forward and tell the country who are these. Many of the stories you hear are just general statements,” he added.

On the accusation of Kenya’s support for the RSF in the war in Sudan by being, Ruto dismissed it as false.

“And to Sudan, I hold the position that both RSF and SAF are cut from the same cloth. They are a product of an overthrow of a people's government, and therefore you cannot say anything different between SAF and RSF.”

“And by the way, my position is that these two generals have no solution for Sudan, because both of them believe in solving a problem using military means, which is not a security problem,” Ruto stated.

On Haiti, Ruto defended Kenya's controversial peacekeeping deployment, saying there had been demonstrable progress but admitted the mission lacked adequate support.

“We didn't get the kind of support that we we were promised. And that is why I did raise this matter at the UN,” he stated.

Confronted with accusations that his administration has lost the trust of the youth who powered his 2022 campaign, Ruto said he had kept his promises. He cited signing the Conflict of Interest Act, which bars public officers from doing business with government, and increased funding for anti-corruption agencies and the judiciary.

Asked if Kenya’s democracy is safe in his hands, Ruto answered that democracy in Kenya is not about a person but the people.

“Democracy in Kenya is not about a person. It's not about the president. It's about the people. The people of Kenya are democrats. Their DNA is democratic. Not the president, not anybody can stop Kenya from being a democratic country,” he asserted.