Kisia backs Museveni’s advice on police gun handling, urges Kenya to adopt similar discipline
Former Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia has come out to endorse the recent directive issued by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on how police officers should handle their firearms.
Kisia stated that the same directive should be replicated by Kenyan authorities.
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While speaking on a podcast aired on the evening of Friday, July 18, 2025, Kisia welcomed Museveni’s advice, noting that it appeared to be directed at his Kenyan counterpart, who had recently issued controversial orders to police officers to shoot protesters in the leg to maim them.
He also referenced a separate directive by Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary encouraging a shoot-to-kill approach, which has since sparked public outrage and intense debate.
Kisia questioned who else Museveni could have been referring to when he dismissed such directives as “nonsense” (hiyo ni ujinga). According to him, the most recent case of such instructions was here in Kenya, where it was President William Ruto who issued the order to shoot in the leg.
“Who else was he talking about? Who else was President Museveni referring to as hiyo ni ujinga? It can’t be somebody else. The most recent happening in that regard is here in Kenya; the person who issued orders to shoot the leg is President William Ruto,” Kisia stated.
He further argued that, as a matter of diplomatic courtesy, a sitting president would not mention another head of state by name, but there was every indication that Museveni’s criticism was directed at the Kenyan president.
“It’s out of courtesy, and it is diplomatic. You can’t mention your counterpart by name, but there is every reason to believe he was talking about our president, and he said that hio no ujinga,” he added.
Murkomen’s order
Kisia also condemned Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s past remarks endorsing the shoot-to-kill approach.
He maintained that the Interior CS has no legal mandate to issue such directives, citing Article 245 of the Constitution, which places the authority to issue operational commands on the Inspector General of Police.
According to Kisia, the role of a Cabinet Secretary is limited to policy-making and should not interfere with the independent operations of the police service.
Museveni’s directive
In July 2025, President Yoweri Museveni issued a directive to the Uganda Police Force, emphasising that officers should not point guns at civilians during crowd control operations. He stressed that firearms should remain slung on officers’ backs and only be aimed at enemies, not ordinary citizens.
Museveni specifically noted that pointing guns at young people—such as those born in 2005—indicates a failure to distinguish between enemies and civilians, reflecting poor training or a misunderstanding of the situation.
He urged the police to use understanding rather than force when dealing with youth, stating, “The gun should only be pointed at the enemy, not wananchi [citizens].”
