Veteran gospel singer and activist Reuben Kigame has issued a strong rebuke to President William Ruto, urging him to direct his efforts toward fighting corruption rather than subjecting citizens to state brutality.

Kigame condemned the government’s response to the recent wave of youth-led protests, describing the crackdown as inhumane and a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism.

Speaking on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, outside Kahawa Law Courts, where some of the arrested protesters were being arraigned, Kigame called out what he termed the government’s misplaced priorities in criminalising demonstrators while shielding those implicated in large-scale economic crimes.

“The people who should be arrested and charged with terrorism are those stealing our economy. Those in government are the ones who deserve to be in Kamiti,” Kigame said, insisting that corrupt officials, not ordinary citizens, are the real threat to national stability.

He lamented that parents and their children were suffering as a result of the state’s heavy-handed tactics, warning that Kenya must not be turned into a police state.

“We do not want police brutality in our country. We do not want people to be killed. We want accountable policing,” he stated.

Kigame urged President Ruto to shed fear and focus on delivering meaningful economic reforms.

“Our president should stop fearing and do his work so that the economy can stabilise. Kenyans must unite and seek leadership that benefits the country,” he said.

As a parent, Kigame expressed deep concern about the branding of protesting youths as terrorists, arguing that their actions stemmed from a genuine desire to see a corruption-free Kenya.

“It is wrong for our children to be labelled terrorists simply because they are demanding a better country. Gen Z took to the streets because they want a nation free of corruption and theft,” he said.

He further criticised the government’s failure to hold corrupt leaders accountable, asserting that those in positions of power are the real culprits behind Kenya’s economic woes.

“Those in government should be arrested and taken to Kamiti. Meanwhile, parents cannot sleep because their children are being harassed for exercising their constitutional rights,” Kigame said.