NAIROBI, Kenya — Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech has sparked outrage and renewed debate over police use of force after publicly calling for a shoot-to-kill policy against violent protesters.
In a video circulating on social media, Koech — who also chairs the National Assembly’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee — said President William Ruto’s directive for police to shoot looters and arsonists in the leg did not go far enough.
“I want to thank President William Ruto for saying yesterday, shoot but do not kill. I want to repeat it here — in fact, shoot and kill,” Koech said at a Thursday morning press briefing.
“You cannot have someone coming after your life, property or business, and you do not want to shoot and kill,” he added. “Anyone who wants to go to a protected area like State House is not an ordinary person — that is a criminal that must be dealt with equal force.”
Koech’s remarks appear to escalate the President’s earlier call for a measured crackdown on violent elements within protests.
On Wednesday, while launching a police housing project in Kilimani, President Ruto directed security agencies to shoot lawbreakers in the leg — not fatally — so they can face prosecution.
“We want peace in Kenya… A person who is going to burn another person’s business and property should be shot in the legs, taken to the hospital, and then to court,” Ruto said. “Police should not shoot citizens to kill, but criminals must be dealt with.”
But Koech said the situation demands lethal force, asserting that the Constitution and the National Police Service Act allow officers to use their weapons if they perceive a threat to life.
He warned that individuals attempting to storm protected areas like State House would be treated as armed criminals and terrorists.
“We will arrest everyone, and I can tell you they are going to be charged as either facilitating terrorism or they are terrorists themselves,” he declared.
Rising Tensions Amid National Protests
Koech’s comments come against the backdrop of countrywide protests, largely driven by young Kenyans expressing frustration over the high cost of living, heavy taxation, and alleged government repression.
Human rights organizations have reported widespread police brutality, arbitrary arrests, and the use of live bullets during recent demonstrations.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) this week confirmed that 31 people have been killed and over 100 injured during the recent wave of protests, with civil society calling for urgent police reforms and accountability.
Calls for restraint have also come from international agencies. On Tuesday, UNICEF condemned the killing of a young girl by a stray bullet during the Saba Saba protests and expressed concern over the detention of minors.
Koech’s comments are likely to further inflame political tensions, with opposition leaders accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of criminalising dissent and turning Kenya into a “police state.”
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, now a leading opposition figure, recently warned that attempts to intimidate or silence protesters would only deepen the national crisis, and has called for an end to police brutality, abductions, and extrajudicial killings.
