President William Ruto is saying that he is not responsible for the death of some of the protestors who were out in almost all of the Kenyan counties demonstrating against the Finance Bill 2024 due to its harsh tax policies – according to everyone except the politicians who are allied to him.
Speaking in an interview with local media houses on Sunday night at State House, President Ruto insisted that he has no blood on his hands even though police, some of them, were captured on videos firing live bullets and lobbing tear gas into the crowds of youthful citizens who were peacefully demonstrating across various towns and cities in the country.
“I have no blood on my hands. 19 people are dead per the record that I have from security agencies. It is very unfortunate. As a democracy, that should not be part of our conversation,” he said.
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When asked about the death of the 12-year-old Kennedy Onyango Ouma, who died before reaching the hospital due to excessive bleeding after police shot him eight times while managing the anti-Finance Bill protests in Rongai, the President said:
“I will give the mother of the 12-year-old an explanation of what happened and make sure that we bring this to a situation where, like myself, who has children, her child can be accounted for.”
Ruto maintained that even though the Constitution allows for peaceful demonstration and picketing, there were criminals who had taken advantage to loot innocent citizens, the culprits who accessed and started fire at several government offices, including Parliament Buildings in Nairobi.
“Ksh2.4 billion property has been destroyed. The office of the Chief Justice has been burnt. The parliament has been burnt. City Hall has been burnt,” stated Dr Ruto.
The live interview with journalists came almost a day after he vowed to take decisive action on those who touched the National Assembly, who, he says, targeted the armoury, where weapons and other military equipment are stored.
“How did the criminals know there was an armoury and a mausoleum in Parliament?” He posed. “They went straight for the armoury and mausoleum, indicating they were organised criminals.”
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