KU student shot during protest dares President William Ruto, says youth won’t be silenced

Kenyatta University student Phillip Oketch, who was shot in the neck during Tuesday's protests to demand justice for Albert Ojwang, has called on President William Ruto to rein in what he described as “robots in uniform”, criticising the police for unleashing violence on peaceful demonstrators.

Speaking on Wednesday, June 18, Oketch, who is recuperating, slammed the police for turning against the very citizens they swore to protect.

Oketch warned that Kenya’s youth would not be silenced by threats or intimidation, vowing that protests would continue until the president leaves office.

“Allow me to begin by sending a warning to the so-called Commander-in-Chief, the President of the Republic of Kenya, one term, William Ruto. We are tired as the young people of this country,” he said while addressing the press.

He questioned the president’s legitimacy, referring to him as a “one-term” leader, and stressed that Kenya does not belong to any one individual but to all citizens, past, present and future. According to Oketch, the recent crackdown on unarmed demonstrators showed a disturbing trend of state-sanctioned violence.

“We want to tell you that this country does not belong to anything, not anyone. This country belongs to our forefathers. This country belongs to the future generation and us. We want you to take good control of the robots in uniform who swore and voted to take good care of my citizens, but they have proven that they can be the problem towards the unarmed, sober, innocent Kenyan citizens of Kenya,” he said.

“I want to tell William Ruto that no amount of threats will threaten us, no amount of intimidation will intimidate us. Yes, the streets belong to the people. We will be in the streets until you get out of power.”

His remarks came as Embakasi East MP Babu Owino visited victims of police brutality admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital, where Oketch and others are receiving treatment. Owino termed the police response to the protests a massacre.

Owino revealed that 16 people were brought in with various injuries. While nine have since been discharged, seven remain hospitalised, two of whom are in critical condition. One of the critically injured is Boniface Kariuki, who was captured in viral footage being shot at close range during the demonstrations.

“What I witnessed today is nothing short of a massacre. One patient has seven gunshot wounds to the back. Two others were shot in the eye. Another has a gunshot wound in the leg. One was shot in the neck, and another in the lower back. These were not accidents. These were deliberate, targeted attacks on unarmed civilians - children of this republic,” Owino said.

He condemned the use of live bullets on demonstrators, many of whom he said were peacefully exercising their constitutional right to protest.

“This is not the Kenya we want. No Kenyan should be hunted down for expressing their views or for standing up for their future. The use of live bullets against protesters, many of whom were peacefully exercising their constitutional rights, is criminal and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he added.

The MP demanded accountability from the highest level of government, saying the silence of state leaders was as culpable as the actions on the ground.

“I call upon President William Ruto to take full responsibility for these atrocities. The blood of these young men and women is on the hands of those who gave the shoot-to-kill orders, and silence at the highest level of government is complicity. We will not be cowed. We will not stop demanding justice. And we will not stop standing with the people of Kenya until those responsible are held to account,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has recorded at least 22 casualties from the Tuesday demonstrations, which were held in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale.

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• Phillip Oketch
• KU student shot during protest dares President William Ruto
• says youth won’t be silenced

The protests, among other demands, called for the resignation of Deputy Police Inspector General Eliud Lagat over his alleged involvement in the murder of teacher Albert Ojwang while in police custody.

In a statement, KNCHR Vice Chairperson Dr Raymond Nyeris said most of the injuries were due to gunshot wounds, head cuts, whip lashes, blunt trauma, and asthma attacks triggered by tear gas exposure.

“The commission condemns the arrest of protestors, including four human rights defenders in Mombasa, despite being peaceful and having duly notified the police in line with the law,” Nyeris said.

“The commission calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the protestors. The KNCHR commends the majority of the protestors for being peaceful despite attacks and provocation by the police and hired goons.”

The commission further criticised the deployment of unidentified officers and masked infiltrators who were reportedly used to sabotage the protests. According to KNCHR, this contravenes a High Court ruling that requires all officers assigned to protests to wear official uniform and remain identifiable at all times.

“When those charged with maintaining law and order break the law with such impunity, they encourage citizens to disobey the law,” the Commission said.

KNCHR’s report follows mounting public outrage over repeated incidents of police brutality, including the fatal shooting of a hawker in Nairobi and the killing of Ojwang while in police custody.

Calls for justice and reform within the police force continue to grow.