Muturi slams Ruto’s ‘shoot on the leg’ remark, calls it betrayal of constitution
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has sharply criticised President William Ruto over his recent “shoot on the leg” directive to police, calling it a reckless abuse of power and a betrayal of the Constitution.
In a strongly worded statement titled “A Presidency That Betrays the Constitution: Ruto’s Moment of Shame,” that was shared in the wee hours of Friday, July 11, 2025, Muturi condemned the President’s remarks—made at a time when the country is mourning the deaths of young protestors—as not only insensitive but also a dangerous incitement to police brutality.
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“President William Ruto stood before a nation in pain. A nation mourning the lives of its children gunned down in cold blood, a nation clamouring not for charity but for dignity. And in that pivotal moment when leadership demanded restraint, compassion, and unity, the president chose threat and intimidation. He told the police to “just shoot him in the leg.” A command so reckless, so dismissive of human life, that it will be remembered not as a slip of the tongue but as a stain on the soul of this Republic,” Muturi stated.
State-sanctioned violence
Muturi also linked the president’s remarks to a broader trend of state-sanctioned violence, referencing Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s earlier call for police to deal “ruthlessly” with demonstrators.
According to Muturi, such statements serve to embolden rogue elements within the police service and undermine the rule of law.
Citing Articles 26, 27, 28, and 29 of the Constitution, the former National Assembly Speaker argued that Ruto’s utterances violated fundamental rights, particularly the right to life, equality, dignity, and protection from cruel or degrading treatment.
“What is even more damning is that this inciting order came on the heels of equally menacing instructions by Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who urged police to deal ruthlessly with demonstrators. When those at the pinnacle of state power use their positions to legitimise violence, they embolden lawlessness within the very institutions tasked with protecting citizens. These utterances, from the president and his cabinet secretary, are not just morally repugnant; they are constitutional violations,” he stated.
“Let us be clear: President Ruto’s remarks are in direct conflict with Articles 26, 27, 28, and 29 of the Constitution of Kenya. Article 26 guarantees the right to life. Rex Masai, Eric Ochieng, and Kenneth Onyango—these are not just names; they are sons of this soil whose right to life was extinguished by bullets allegedly justified by the same words spoken by the Head of State.”
Regression into authoritarian tendencies
Muturi rejected any attempt to justify the President’s words under the guise of national security, stating that “real security is built through trust, dialogue, and constitutional order—not fear.”
He warned that Kenya is witnessing a disturbing regression into authoritarian tendencies where protest is criminalised and dissent is met with deadly force.
“This presidency, however, appears intent on criminalising protest while weaponising the police. The result is a disturbing erosion of democratic space and normalisation of state brutality. It should alarm every Kenyan, regardless of political leaning, that a president who once championed police independence now uses the pulpit of state power to issue operational directives that amount to extrajudicial orders,” Muturi stated.
Retraction of Ruto’s remarks
He called on President Ruto to retract his statement immediately and apologise publicly to the families of victims of police violence, warning that failure to do so would further damage the integrity of the presidency.
Muturi also reminded police officers of their oath to uphold the Constitution, not to carry out unlawful orders—a duty that holds both national and international legal weight.
“President Ruto must immediately retract his statement and issue a public apology to the families of those killed and injured by police officers emboldened by his words. In doing so, he must affirm that the state will protect, not prey upon, its citizens,” the statement read.
“The police, too, must be reminded that their oath is to the Constitution, not to any individual. Obeying unlawful orders, especially those that result in the unlawful killing of citizens, renders them personally culpable under both Kenyan and international law.”
