President William Ruto is once again trending — but not for good reasons. This time, it’s because of a wild comment he made about protesters. While speaking at a public event, the president warned that anyone who burns other people’s businesses during protests should be shot in the leg.
But instead of supporting the president, Kenyans rushed to Facebook and other platforms with laughter, memes, and criticism. The statement has triggered all sorts of reactions, most of them mocking and full of sarcasm. Many citizens feel that the president is taking things too far, and others simply couldn’t resist making fun of the whole situation.
One person joked that if people keep getting shot in the legs, the shoe business in Kenya will die, but the wheelchair market will boom. Another said that the bullet aimed at a leg might just end up hitting someone in the head, showing worry about how such orders could easily go wrong.
A Facebook user even joked that Mathare Hospital, known for mental health care, should check if one of their patients is missing, clearly hinting that the president’s words were out of line. And someone else cracked a marriage joke that had nothing to do with the topic but still went viral because Kenyans never waste a moment to throw in humor.
This isn’t the first time Ruto’s words have rubbed people the wrong way. But now, as protests grow stronger and citizens demand better leadership, his statement seems to have added fuel to the fire. Many Kenyans are already angry about the economy, high taxes, and police brutality. Telling the police to shoot protestors — even if it’s just in the leg — doesn’t sit well with them.
By Newsmedia