President William Ruto has defended the actions of the Kenyan police during the recent anti-Finance Bill protests, despite admitting that 19 people were killed in the demonstrations.
Speaking in a roundtable interview with journalists, President Ruto stated, “I think the police have done the best they could. If there are any excesses, we have mechanisms to make sure that those excesses are dealt with.”
The protests, which erupted in response to the controversial Finance Bill, saw footage of police using tear gas and live rounds on demonstrators.
When questioned if his applause for the police means he has no regrets about the abductions and no regrets about the killings during the protests, Mr Ruto replied, “Those are your words, not mine, please don’t put words in my mouth.”
President Ruto acknowledged the deaths, stating, “19 people are dead to the record that I have from security agencies.
“Very unfortunate. As a democracy, that should not be part of our conversation,” Mr Ruto stated. “I have no blood on my hands.”
In the wake of the protests, the hashtag #RutoMustGo has trended among Kenyan youth, who have labeled the president a “hypocrite” and a “murderer.”
Despite this, Ruto dismissed calls for his resignation, saying, “Everybody is entitled to their opinion. I have a job to do. Citizens are free to engage in discourse that they want to but those are the fruits and signs of a democracy.”
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