Nairobi — President William Ruto has warned politicians against hiring gangs to disrupt political meetings, intimidate opponents or perpetrate violence, saying no political objective can justify the use of force.
Ruto directed the National Police Service and other security agencies to take firm, lawful and impartial action against individuals who finance, organise, recruit or incite people to engage in political violence.
The President spoke on Friday during the passing-out parade of more than 6,000 police recruits at the National Police College main campus in Kiganjo, Nyeri County.
He challenged security agencies to go beyond arresting young people recruited to cause violence and pursue those who finance, recruit, transport and pay them.
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"Do not arrest only the young person holding a weapon while allowing the person who recruited, transported and paid him to escape responsibility," Ruto said.
The President said no politician is entitled to maintain a private militia and no candidate has the right to intimidate citizens.
His remarks come as Kenya prepares for the August 10, 2027 General Election, which he said must be conducted in an environment where political competition is based on ideas, policies and leadership rather than hired gangs, intimidation and ethnic mobilisation.
Analyzing Demographic DataRuto said political parties must be free to organise and candidates allowed to campaign without violence or threats.
He added that citizens must be free to assemble, listen, question, criticise and choose their leaders.
"The police and other security agencies have a clear constitutional responsibility: To protect the democratic space in which Kenyans exercise these freedoms," he said.
The President challenged police officers to balance maintaining public order with protecting constitutional freedoms, warning that peaceful political participation should not be criminalised while criminal conduct should not be excused in the name of politics.
He cited 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.
At the same time, Ruto said the Constitution does not protect arson, looting, assault, intimidation or the destruction of public and private property.
"The responsibility of the police is to distinguish between peaceful democratic participation and criminal conduct. You must neither criminalise legitimate dissent nor excuse violence committed under the cover of politics," he said.
The President congratulated the new officers after nine months of training and urged them to focus not only on arresting suspects but also on preventing crime, protecting lives and building public confidence.
"Courage must be guided by judgement, authority tempered by restraint and enforcement anchored in the law," he said.
Ruto said modern policing requires officers who are physically prepared, professionally competent, technologically proficient and psychologically resilient.
He warned the officers against corruption, bribery, collusion with criminals, excessive use of force and abuse of authority.
The President also outlined measures the Government is undertaking to improve police welfare and working conditions.
He said the three-phase review of police remuneration had been completed, with the entry-level basic salary for a police constable rising from KSh21,645 to KSh29,360, an increase of about 36 per cent.
He said salaries across other ranks had also been adjusted upwards.
On housing, Ruto said the Government was addressing the shortage of police accommodation through the National Institutional Housing Programme, which has 47,464 housing units across 165 projects.
More than 2,000 units have been completed, while over 9,500 are under construction and a further 24,000 are at the procurement stage.
The President also said more than 138,000 police and prison officers and their dependants had been onboarded onto the Usalama Cover under the Social Health Authority.
The cover provides access to primary, inpatient and outpatient healthcare, specialised care and other essential services without co-payment or administrative barriers.
Ruto also unveiled a new uniform for General Duty officers of the Kenya Police Service.
The graduating officers became the first to wear the new uniform, which will be progressively rolled out to General Duty officers across the country beginning next week.
The Administration Police Service and General Service Unit will retain their current operational uniforms.
Ruto said the change followed consultations with police officers and the public in 2023, as well as recommendations by a presidential taskforce on the terms and conditions of service and reforms in the security services.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said inadequate police personnel was among the major concerns raised by Kenyans through the Jukwaa la Usalama programme.
Murkomen said the Government had responded by recruiting and training more officers under a modern curriculum designed to address emerging security challenges.
He added that the Government plans to reopen regional police training centres to expand opportunities for continuous professional development.
"Continuous training will be the cornerstone of our policing," Murkomen said.
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He said digitisation was also improving police services, citing the police clearance certificate, whose processing time has been reduced to one day from the previous 14 days.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja commended the Government for investments in technology, modern equipment, housing and other measures aimed at improving officers' welfare.
Earlier, Ruto broke ground for the construction of a new Chief Physical Training Instructor Grounds at the National Police College.
The project, supported by the United States Government in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, will include new facilities and the upgrading and refurbishment of existing infrastructure at the police training institution.
The improvements will include a new physical training facility, library and shooting range to equip officers with skills and practical capabilities required for modern policing.
US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires and Head of Mission Susan Burns said the project would strengthen Kenya's efforts to build a modern, professional and efficient police service.
She said the facilities would help officers respond effectively to terrorism, human trafficking and wildlife trafficking.
"The challenges of modern policing require modern training, modern facilities and the right skills," Burns said.
