Raila Odinga Condemns the Controversial Directive “Shoot-to-Kill” A Threat to Rule of Law

 

PHOTO | Kenyans news

Bondo, Kenya - June 29, 2025 

While speaking to the congregation at ACK Church in Bondo, ODM leader Raila Amolo Odinga strongly condemned Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen's recent "shoot-to-kill" comments. He labeled them a blatant misuse of state power and a serious threat to constitutional freedoms. 

CS Murkomen made headlines after suggesting that police should shoot anyone trying to storm or vandalize police stations, following youth-led protests across the country. 

His remarks came just days after the June 25 Gen Z protests, which featured widespread unrest, online activism, and tragically, the reported deaths of at least two dozen young demonstrators. 

Raila spoke clearly. Standing before a full church, he stated, “You cannot order police to shoot and kill citizens. That is not law and order; that is lawlessness in uniform.” 

He stressed that no government official, no matter their title, has the right to bypass the Constitution and issue unlawful orders. 

Odinga reminded Kenyans that the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to life and a fair trial. He argued that even when individuals break the law, the right approach involves arrest, investigation, and prosecution—not instant execution. 

“If someone has committed a crime, arrest them, take them to court, and let them face justice. But issuing shoot-to-kill orders is a step back to dictatorship.” 

Protecting the Youth, Not Killing Them 

Raila’s comments come at a time when Gen Z youth are becoming more politically active. He praised their bravery in pushing for accountability but called for their safety and constitutional rights to be protected. 

“Our youth are not criminals. They are patriots demanding better. We must protect them, not hunt them down.” 

The former Prime Minister warned that normalizing such orders could encourage rogue officers and create a dangerous precedent for the militarization of civil policing. He urged Parliament and the Judiciary to step in and address what he called reckless governance from the Executive. 

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Raila encouraged Kenyans to remain watchful and peaceful but to keep demanding justice for those killed or injured during the protests. He called on religious groups, civil society, and the international community to speak out against the rise of state-sanctioned violence. 

As the nation continues to face economic challenges, political disillusionment, and social unrest, Raila Odinga’s criticism of Murkomen’s directive serves as a timely reminder that power must be used responsibly, justly, and accountably. 

“A country that turns its guns on its children is not a country; it is a danger to itself.”