'Nobody is above the law!' President Ruto warns against violence in Wednesday protests

President William Ruto has warned against disruption of peace and normalcy as the June 25th demos set for Wednesday beckon.

The President, who spoke during a breakfast meeting with FKF Premier League champions Police FC at State House, Nairobi, also called on Kenyans to support and respect police officers, terming them the most professional in the region.

“Nobody is above the law; you cannot intimidate the police. You cannot use force or insult against the police or threaten, because you are threatening our nation. These are our frontline defenders,” he said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who was also at the event, urged Kenyans to exercise restraint and recognise the State's leniency in granting them freedoms.

CS Murkomen stated that Kenyans freely express their controversial views on social media without fear of being apprehended, citing instances in other jurisdictions where police action is swift.

He added that the Kenyan police service has espoused professionalism by not going after those who have dared to march to the State House during the anniversary of the anti-Finance Bill protests

"In the UK, if any person tweeted or made a post saying they would be visiting Buckingham Palace, nobody would wait for them to come to the streets. They will be picked from their own houses, and they will be charged. I have lived and studied in the US, and if an American citizen were to write on social media, 'let us go and invade the White House,' the Secret Service would pick them from their homes," he said.

"It is only in Kenya where a citizen will say they will invade Parliament, the Judiciary, State House, and they walk scot-free, and even when taken to court, they will be released."

The CS, at the same time, commended the police service for executing their mandate, urging them to continue observing their code of conduct to ensure that Kenya remains peaceful.

"This is one of the most professional police services on the continent. Kenya is the country that has the most difficult political environment to operate as a police officer," he noted.

"On one hand, the police are extremely constricted on what they can do in ensuring there is law and order; on the other hand, you have political leadership that is very belligerent in supporting the work of the police service."

The Kenyan youth have intimated that alongside calling demanding justice for those who have lost their lives under police brutality, they will be remembering those who lost their lives during the monumental protests in 2024.

Human rights groups say that 60 people were killed and many were abducted, as some remain missing.