Unmoved by bloodshed: Ruto, top security chiefs blamed for rising extra-judicial killings

Individuals who run the country's national security have been accused in the court of public opinion of abdicating their constitutional role.

President William Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumbwa Murkomen, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Charles Kahariri and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja have been accused of abdicating their duty of protecting lives following the BBC’s ‘Blood Parliament’ documentary and Monday's Angara Barrikoi Narok County killings.

Constitutional lawyers and Human Rights groups lay blame on the four top government officials for failing to protect lives and property, and have seemed to gravitate towards failing on their oath of office, leaving citizens to face brutal killings by men in uniform.

The BBC documentary released on Monday documented how police and elements from the military marked out some demonstrators and had them shot during the Gen Z protests of June 25 last year. 

"One of those videos captured a plain-clothes police officer shouting 'uaa!'" The Swahili word for "kill". Seconds later, a police officer knelt, gunshots were heard, and protesters in the crowd collapsed - seven in total," the BB investigation piece read in part.

The report revealed that, in those tense minutes, as gunshots rent the air, David Chege, a 39-year-old software engineer and Sunday-school teacher, and Ericsson Mutisya, a 25-year-old butcher, were shot dead.

As Kenyans took to social media to express their anger against the police and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), they were taken aback by the news that police had shot at least five people in Narok, and several others were injured during violent clashes between residents and police. By the end of Monday, five deaths had been reported.

Residents, who had come out to protest over what they termed as historical ownership of the land, blocked the main road to prevent land officials from surveying the area.

Lawyers and human rights groups, while referring to the two incidents, have raised concerns over the degradation of respect for human life as they blamed President Ruto and his top security officials.

Amnesty International’s in its 2024/25 State of the World’s Human Rights Report for Kenya, said Kenyans witnessed human rights violations and a marked shift toward authoritarian practices and repeated attempts to infringe upon freedoms provided for in the Constitution of Kenya which include right to protest, freedom of expression, access to health, housing, and protection from violence among others. 

“The report outlines a sustained crackdown on civil liberties, including the use of excessive and unnecessary force by the National Police Service during the 2024 nationwide protests. At least 65 individuals were killed, 89 forcibly disappeared, and thousands arbitrarily arrested.... ” Irungu Houghton, Amnesty International Kenya Director, said.  

Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of Vocal Africa, said the Narok incidents and the BBC exposé were a confirmation that the state will continue to use state machinery to silence the masses.

“Both in Parliament and in Narok, a multitude of people were witnessed who came out to express themselves over an issue in which the government was involved. So instead of finding amicable ways of addressing these problems, we've seen in both cases the state flexing its muscle and in the process causing untold suffering, including deaths.”

Rights groups now place the blame on President Ruto as the appointing authority of the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Defence Forces, saying the two have failed to protect human life.

“We squarely blame the President and the IG, the CDF, because a military officer has been accused of engaging in shootings in parliament last year. The two individuals must face the law, they must be brought before the court to answer for that. Secondly, we have to pinpoint the exact individuals, the ones who actually pulled the trigger. Those are bad apples that we must get rid of from the security agencies,” he said.

Khalid referred to Article 131 of the Constitution, which gives the president the Authority of Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the chairperson of the National Security Council, and is a symbol of national unity.

“The President shall respect, uphold and safeguard this Constitution; safeguard the sovereignty of the Republic; promote and enhance the unity of the nation; promote respect for the diversity of the people and communities of Kenya; and ensure the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law,” part two reads in part. 

Kamau Ngugi, Executive Director of Defenders Coalition, an umbrella coalition of human rights lobby groups, said the extrajudicial killings that have been witnessed in Kenya were a testament that the government had failed in its basic mandate to protect its citizens.

“It has reached a point that institutions that are mandated to protect lives are taking them away. The President has the capacity to reverse the situation so that the institutions observe total adherence to the Constitution, prevent a culture of impunity and ensure that all those involved face the law. The buck stops with him,” he said.