- President William Ruto warned that leaders who incite youths as hooligans will be faced with strict measures to protect national security.
- At the graduation of nearly 6,000 chiefs and assistants, he urged the police to crack down on those who incite political violence
- Ruto said acts of banditry and chaos threaten the stability of the country, and indicated a zero tolerance approach
- His remarks came amid a push to strengthen the training of local administrators in security and law enforcement
President William Ruto has given a strong warning against those who use hooligans, vowing to take strong action against leaders who encourage young people to disrupt public order and threaten the security of the country.
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During the graduation ceremony of 5,892 chiefs and assistant chiefs at the National Police Academy of Embakasi ‘A’, Ruto asked the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to take action.
The graduation ceremony, attended by hundreds of police officers, marked the completion of military skills training, security management and paralegal training.
It is a program that aims to increase operational readiness among local administrators while enhancing national security and reducing political violence.
The head of state urged Kanja to clamp down on people who recruit youths to start violence, saying such acts will no longer be tolerated.
Ruto explained that such actions threaten the country’s long-term stability, stressing that national security will not be compromised by them.
“We have agreed that we are a country that follows the law. Those who use young people as thugs, people who are used to cause chaos, make citizens fight, and cause harm, these are people we cannot accept. And I have already told our Inspector General of Police that all these people must be taken to strict legal measures so that we can stop thugs and actions that undermine security in our nation of Kenya,” Ruto said.
How did the Kariobangi riots happen?
Ruto’s warning comes in the wake of repeated incidents of violence targeting public events, mostly by politically motivated gangs.
The latest outbreak of unrest occurred on Sunday, November 31, at a thanksgiving service for David Wanyoike, the MCA-elect for Kariobangi North in PCEA Berea Parish in Nairobi.
Believers had gathered for a peace service attended by the leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DCP) and the former vice president Rigathi Gachagua.
However, when the believers came out to listen to Gachagua speak, a group of youths on motorbikes attacked the area, armed with bottles and metal rods, leaving four people injured while the believers ran for their safety.
The National Police Service, through its spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, condemned the attack, describing it as “premeditated and planned.”
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This was not an isolated incident, as earlier this year, gangs motivated by political interests disrupted events during Ruto’s developmental tours in Nairobi.
In March, pedestrians and motorists were attacked in Westlands, while property was vandalized in Mathare, and a police officer reportedly lost his gun.
Along Barabara Yagoo, citizens were robbed by youths riding motorcycles at high speed shortly after the president’s participation in Eastlands.
In June, masked youths on motorbikes disrupted a peaceful protest in Nairobi’s central business district, where protesters were demanding justice for the death of a blogger-teacher Albert Ojwang while under police custody.
The attackers beat the protesters, looted those who stood, and disappeared into the crowd even as the police fired tear gas.
During the recent by-elections, violence was reported in various parts of the country, with the IEBC standing firm on the unrest.
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