Mudavadi breaks ranks with Ruto over shoot-to-injure directive
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has expressed concerns over President William Ruto’s directive to police officers to shoot protesters in the leg, calling for national reflection and a shift in approach.
Speaking on a local media station on July 13, 2025, Mudavadi acknowledged public anger over unemployment and economic hardship, but warned that both excessive use of force and provocative actions such as storming security installations were unacceptable.
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“People are justified to be angry if there are no jobs. But I don’t think it’s proper—just as much as it’s not good for people to be shot, it’s also not proper for people to go and raid security installations,” he said.
Need for reflection
When pressed whether such a pronouncement from the Head of State was appropriate, especially in a tense political climate, Mudavadi refrained from directly endorsing it and instead urged all sides to de-escalate and reflect.
“I think we all need to take a step back and reflect on whether the country is on the right trajectory,” he said.
He expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of current government strategies in addressing the crisis, suggesting that the approach is not delivering expected results.
“The approach we are pursuing at this point in time is not yielding the kind of results that may have been anticipated,” he acknowledged.
Growing public dissent
Mudavadi further noted a growing shift in public sentiment, referencing critical newspaper editorials as a sign that many Kenyans feel the country is veering off course.
“I’ve noticed editorials in some of the mainstream newspapers are now beginning to say that, you people, this is not the way forward,” Mudavadi observed.
The PCS called on leaders in government to be more attentive and for protesting citizens to pursue realistic approaches that avoid further instability.
“For those in the public space, let’s listen a little more. For those who are angry and protesting on this other side, let us be realistic,” he stated.
He urged the nation to pause and reassess the current political climate.
“Let everybody take a deep breath and step backwards a little and reflect so that we can move together as a country,” he rallied.
