President William Ruto stated in an Al Jazeera interview that he does not regret instructing police to shoot protesters in the leg to protect public order. He also denied allegations of Kenya supporting Sudan's Rapid Support Forces amid the ongoing conflict. The remarks, published on November 9, 2025, sparked media criticism and renewed debate on police conduct.
In an interview with Al Jazeera published on November 9, 2025, Kenyan President William Ruto defended his July 2025 directive to police, saying he does not regret ordering them to shoot protesters targeting government installations in the leg. Speaking at the launch of the Police Housing Project at Kilimani Police Station in Nairobi, Ruto had warned: “Anyone deciding to storm a person’s business or a police station should be shot in the leg. Thereafter, they can go to court and see what follows next.” He insisted the comments were not orders but expressions to uphold law and order, emphasizing that the National Police Service operates independently. “I do not regret those comments at all because the law allows the police to use force when other people’s lives are in danger. The police know what they need to do and understand what is in their purview,” Ruto stated.
Ruto dismissed accusations that his administration suppresses dissent, affirming police actions protect protesters' rights alongside citizens' lives and property. He addressed recent police misconduct cases, including the death of teacher and activist Albert Ojwang', by committing to accountability: “We have thousands of police officers, and you cannot miss a rogue one. That is why we have laws to deal with such elements. We will continue to make sure that the majority of the police know what to do.”
The interview also covered Sudan, where Ruto rejected claims of Kenya sponsoring the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or smuggling arms, calling them “absolutely false” and politically motivated. He described Kenya as a neutral democracy hosting peace dialogues: “Kenya is a great democracy in the region. We are the only place where people can come and meet freely.” Ruto equated the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF, stating: “Both SAF and RSF are cut from the same cloth... These two generals have no solution to the Sudan crisis because both of them believe that they have to use military means to settle the situation. This is a governance problem.”
Allegations stemmed from a joint NTV and Bellingcat investigation showing Kenyan-labelled ammunition in an RSF depot near Khartoum, though unverified. Sudan suspended Kenyan imports on March 14, 2025, after accusing Kenya of hosting RSF. Following Ruto's remarks, some Kenyan media labelled his government as rogue, but he upheld press freedom: “The media are independent, and they write whatever they think they can write.”