Opposition leaders have called for the immediate resignation of President William Ruto or his impeachment over what they termed gross violation of the Constitution, citing "atrocities" he has committed against Kenyans.
With Dr Ruto’s recent controversial "shoot-on-the-leg" order, the police also came into focus, with leaders saying this amounts to sanctioning extrajudicial killings, which, among other things, meet the threshold for his impeachment.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, his Democratic Action Party counterpart Eugene Wamalwa, and former Attorney General Justin Muturi asserted that President Ruto’s latest order warrants his immediate resignation or removal through impeachment.
The opposition leaders were speaking at Iyego Village in Kangema, Murang’a County, during the burial of hawker Boniface Kariuki, the 22-year-old unarmed mask vendor who was shot at close range by a police officer in Nairobi during protests last month.
Ms Susan Wangari Kariuki, the mother of a hawker, recalled the last moments she had with her son before he was shot.
"My son was innocent. He was not participating in the demonstrations—he was just selling masks to fend for the family. He was my firstborn and only son. I had talked to him and asked him not to participate, but they killed him," she said before she was overcome by emotions.
Mr Musyoka said: "We want to ask President Ruto, is this the good job you have been talking about? Shooting youths and killing them aimlessly — is this what you are calling a good job?"
He added: “This 13th Parliament has a chance to redeem itself from the accusation that it has been captured by the Executive, and MPs must stand firm. The President has overstepped his mandate by issuing unconstitutional directives that endanger lives. We cannot sit back and watch.”
Mr Muturi said the atrocities committed by President Ruto merit a jail term at Kamiti Maximum Prison.
"The person who is supposed to be the father of the nation is now the number one enemy of Kenyans. The recent orders he gave to the police are a gross violation of the Constitution, and if we had an independent Parliament, the President should have already been sent home," he said.
Mr Wamalwa, on his part, said recent remarks and the events unfolding in the country amount to abuse of office and endanger the lives of citizens.
“Mr President, the least you can do is resign immediately. We would fully support the impeachment motion brought against you, and we urge all opposition Members of Parliament to back it without hesitation," said Mr Wamalwa.
President Ruto’s administration has been put on the spot as cases of forced disappearances, police brutality and insecurity continue to rise in the country.
President William Ruto addresses wananchi in Kagumo town, Kirinyaga, during a development tour of the county.
Photo credit: Joseph Kanyi | Nation Media Group
During the burial ceremony, leader after leader warned that Kenya was sliding into authoritarianism over rising abductions by security agencies.
Mr Muturi, who is the chairperson of the opposition-appointed People’s Restorative Justice Commission, accused the government of escalating the use of illegal abductions to silence dissent, warning that the country is drifting toward authoritarianism.
“Who gave the police the responsibility to abandon the criminal procedure as we know it? Who authorised the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to substitute the law with fear, procedure with brute force, and the Constitution with terror?” Muturi asked. “In a functioning democracy, law enforcement follows the law.”
Embakasi North MP James Gakuya said, "It is no coincidence that the same government that has failed to provide jobs, cut the cost of living, or deliver justice is now deploying force to suppress those who dare to speak out. This is not about crime prevention. It is about power preservation.”
Naivasha MP Jane Kihara called on President Ruto to take full responsibility for the actions of rogue police officers.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata emphasised that defending constitutional provisions was a civic duty that transcended political affiliation.
He warned that such actions signal a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism and pose a serious threat to constitutional democracy.
