Ruto orders police to pursue sponsors of political violence

President William Ruto has ordered security agencies to pursue people who finance, organise, recruit and transport youths to perpetrate political violence, warning that those behind the violence must not escape responsibility.

The Commander-in-Chief directed the National Police Service and other security agencies to take firm, lawful and impartial action against anyone who finances, organises, incites or perpetrates political violence.

The president urged police officers not to concentrate only on youths found carrying weapons during political clashes, but also identify those who recruit, transport and pay them.

“Do not arrest only the young people holding a weapon while allowing the person who recruited, transported, and paid them to escape responsibility,” Ruto said.

The President spoke during the passing-out ceremony of 10,000 police recruits at Kiganjo, where he outlined the responsibilities of security agencies as Kenya approaches the August 10, 2027 General Election.

“The National Police Service and all our security agencies should therefore take firm, lawful, and impartial action against anyone who finances, organises, incites, or perpetrates political violence," he added.

Ruto said there was growing concern over hired gangs and young people being recruited, transported and paid to disrupt political meetings, intimidate political opponents and provoke violence.

“Politically sponsored violence has no place in our democracy,” he said.

The President warned political leaders against using private militias or intimidation to advance their interests.

“No politician is entitled to a private militia. No candidate has the right to intimidate citizens. No political objective can justify violence,” he said.

Ruto placed a responsibility on the police to protect legitimate political activity, stressing that political competition is an essential part of democracy.

He said political parties must be free to organise, candidates must be free to campaign and citizens must be free to assemble, listen, question, criticise and choose.

“At the same time, the constitution does not protect arson, looting, assault, lawlessness, intimidation, or the destruction of public or private property,” Ruto said.

The police and other security agencies, he said, have a constitutional responsibility to protect the democratic space in which Kenyans exercise those freedoms.

"Article 37 of the Constitution, which protects the right of every person, peacefully and unarmed, to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions to public authorities," he said.

That right, he said, must be respected and protected.

He however, drew a line between peaceful political participation and criminal conduct, listing arson, looting, assault, lawlessness, intimidation and destruction of public or private property as acts not protected by the Constitution.

“The responsibility of the police is to distinguish between peaceful democratic participation and criminal conduct,” he said.

Ruto warned the officers against criminalising legitimate dissent or allowing violence to be committed under the cover of politics.

“You must neither criminalise legitimate dissent nor excuse violence committed under the cover of politics,” he said.

The President challenged security agencies to secure the 2027 election without compromising the democracy they are charged with protecting.

He called for political competition based on ideas, policies and leadership rather than hired guns, intimidation or ethnic mobilisation.

“The people must decide freely and peacefully who will lead them,” Ruto said.

Ruto also linked security to the country's development, describing peace, stability, predictability and public confidence as foundations of Kenya's ambitions.

He said the National Police Service was not peripheral to Kenya's development but one of its essential foundations.

The President further pointed to the country's long-term development agenda, noting that Vision 2030 was approaching its horizon.

He said Kenyans had begun a national conversation on the Kenya they wanted to build beyond 2030.

“Security is first a constitutional right,” Ruto said.