NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 9 – President William Ruto has issued a stern warning to individuals found vandalizing or torching businesses during protests, saying they will be immobilized and prosecuted in court.
Speaking in Nairobi’s Kilimani during the launch of the police affordable housing project on Thursday, the President condemned the escalating destruction of property witnessed during recent anti-government demonstrations and declared a zero-tolerance approach to lawlessness.
“Anybody torching and destroying another person’s business should be shot in the feet and taken to the hospital pending court appearance,” said Ruto.
“We want people to do business. Enough is enough.”
His comments come amid anti-government protests that have turned increasingly violent in recent weeks.
The latest demonstrations have seen supermarkets and retail shops targeted by looters and arsonists, with Magunas Supermarket in Meru among the worst-hit—looted and later set ablaze.
Similar scenes of destruction were reported in Kitengela and Kahawa Sukari, where mobs descended on shopping centers, broke into stores, and carted away goods, leaving small-scale traders counting losses running into millions.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the death toll from the unrest now stands at 31.
This comes even as questions mount over alleged police excesses in response to the protests, casting a shadow over President Ruto’s “Broad-Based” Administration’s promise to bring perpetrators to book.
