As families mourn 31 killed during Saba Saba protests, the President stays silent on police brutality. Compassion? Nowhere in sight.
President William Ruto's silence on the Saba Saba killings has sparked growing public outrage, with many Kenyans now viewing the President as distant and uncaring after the deadly protests on July 7, 2025.
President Ruto, while speaking in Kilimani, Nairobi on Wednesday during a visit to a police housing project, came across as detached from the pain of grieving families.
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Instead of addressing the deaths of innocent Kenyans during the Saba Saba protests, he focused his remarks on warning so-called "coup plotters," saying they would not succeed.
"You cannot sponsor violence and expect to go scot-free," he warned and declared "enough is enough."
President Ruto came off as combative and angry, far from the calm and reassuring tone many expected.
Using strong language, he warned that he wouldn't sit back and watch the country descend into chaos yet he made no mention of the innocent lives lost during the recent protests.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), 31 individuals lost their lives including a 12-year-old Brigit Njoki who was struck by a stray bullet as she watched television inside her home in Kiambu.
The President's lack of compassion has left many Kenyans questioning his leadership especially since he once campaigned as a man of the people, vowing to defend human rights and stand up against police brutality.
Many say the President Ruto silence Saba Saba tragedy is a betrayal of his campaign promises to uphold human rights and accountability as he is ignoring the very same abuses he once condemned.
– Blame the youth, praise the police, ignore the dead –
The Saba Saba protests caused pain and destruction, they claimed lives, left families in mourning, and damaged property.Yet, the country's leadership has remained callous.
Many now fear leaders will sweep the tragedy under the rug, leaving grieving families, opposition leaders, civil society groups, and concerned citizens to keep demanding for police accountability and justice.
Any hope that the government will admit wrongdoing or even offer an apology for what happened during the Saba Saba protests now seems unlikely.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, speaking on Tuesday at the University of Nairobi, did not condemn the police actions or offer an apology. Instead, he blamed the unrest on jobless youth, ignoring the real reasons behind the protests.
"What we have is a general state of hopelessness and despair from our unemployed youth who make up 60 percent of our population," he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen also praised the police, without calling out those who used excessive force or showing any sympathy to the families who lost their loved ones.
"Their efforts, along with those of other officers across the country, helped reduce cases of violence, looting, and destruction of property today compared to last week. We're committed to making sure protests and demonstrations remain peaceful and orderly," Murkomen wrote on X.
– Only the Judiciary dares to speak –
So far, the only voice from the government side to speak out has been Chief Justice Martha Koome.
She on Tuesday condemned the deaths linked to police action and called on the police to show "restraint, act with fairness, and respect human rights" warning against actions that cause unnecessary harm or loss of life.
Opposition leaders, civil society groups, and even the international community including the United Nations Human Rights Commission are now calling for police to be held accountable.
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Opposition leader turned government ally Raila Odinga has called for a national dialogue that brings together different generations to help find a way out of the current crisis.
But for many Kenyans, these repeated talks have done little in the past often serving the interests of a few political elites rather than offering real solutions.
Meanwhile, as calls for justice, accountability, and an end to police brutality grow louder, President Ruto remains indifferent.
His government has faced wave after wave of protests, with many Kenyans frustrated by how he's handling the country's affairs.
So far, the President has not addressed the actions of rogue police officers who use excessive force on innocent people.
He hasn't offered condolences to the families caught in the chaos either.
Many are still hoping he will speak out and that the police will return to their true duty: protecting lives, not taking them.
