Kenya’s former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has threatened to take President William Ruto to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the president’s call for police to shoot looters “in the leg” during ongoing anti-government protests.
“We will report you—not to the Kenyan police, but to the ICC, an address you already know,” the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader posted on X late Wednesday, referring to Ruto’s past ICC indictment over the 2007-08 post-election violence. The charges were dropped in 2016 for lack of evidence.
Gachagua accused the president of “adding insult to injury” by ordering security forces to maim demonstrators who target businesses. Ruto, speaking earlier on Wednesday, said any assault on police stations or property amounted to a “declaration of war” and vowed a tough response, while insisting officers should incapacitate rather than kill suspects.
Nationwide protests have surged in recent weeks, driven by anger over police brutality, rising living costs and demands for Ruto’s resignation. The state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights says 31 people were killed and more than 500 arrested during Monday’s Saba Saba anniversary demonstrations.
Addressing reporters in Nairobi, Gachagua rejected Ruto’s claim that rivals are plotting a coup: “Nobody wants to overthrow your government; we will meet you at the ballot in 2027.”