Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has continued to take a dig at President William Ruto’s directive to officers to shoot in the leg anyone caught looting during the protests.

In a statement on Saturday, July 12, 2025, Kalonzo reprimanded the head of state, indicating that he was perpetuating inhumane treatment of Kenyans.

The former vice president maintained that the order should be rejected and condemned. The opposition leader accused the president of watering down the country’s democratic gains by issuing such blanket directives.

“A president should represent unity, hope, and prosperity. President Ruto’s inhumane command to shoot demonstrators in the legs, should thus be absolutely condemned and rejected,” Kalonzo stated.

“Shooting a peaceful Kenyan under any condition is unlawful, inhumane, and totally unacceptable in any functioning democracy,” he added.

weaponise security forces

Kalonzo, who spoke during a function at Twimyua Secondary School, castigated the Kenya Kwanza administration for what he described as an attempt to weaponise the security forces.

He further insisted that if such actions are not condemned, they risk sliding the country into dictatorship.

“If it wasn’t obvious before, it should be plain now that the current regime’s goal is to normalise and rationalise abductions and the weaponization of disciplined forces – their go-to instruments of tyranny – as a means of controlling and subduing the nation,” Kalonzo noted.

“There is an unconstitutional backdoor attempt to return Kenya to a dictatorship from democracy.”

Ruto’s orders

While in Nairobi on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the head of state told officers to shoot in the leg anyone caught looting during the protests.

“Anyone who burns down someone else’s business and property, let them be shot in the leg and go to the hospital as they head to court. Yes, let them not kill, but shoot and break the legs. Destroying people’s property is not right,” he said.

His remarks followed similar controversial statements by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen following the June 25 protest violence, in which he told police to shoot anyone who gets near a police station.

“Anyone who gets near a police station, shoot them. Why should someone who wants to steal firearms be spared? Firearms are not doughnuts!” Murkomen warned.

Raila condemns the orders

However, the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga came out to rebuke the orders. Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader explained that such actions often contradict one’s right to a fair trial before being deemed guilty.

“We are all better served as a country when we stick to the principle that everyone is innocent until proven guilty; a determination that can only be made by a competent court of law. Let’s prioritize arrests and arraignment in courts over killing, maiming or brutalizing of suspects,” part of Raila’s statement read in part.