ODM youth leader rejects Ruto shoot-to-kill order, torture talk

As Kenya prepares for the start of national dialogue talks next month, sharp divisions are emerging around President William Ruto’s recent shoot-to-incapacitate directive to law enforcement.
The debate over police conduct and the limits of state power is expected to feature prominently in the upcoming national dialogue sessions. With civil unrest ongoing in parts of the country and rising concern over police brutality, the dialogue will likely test Kenya’s commitment to constitutional order and democratic norms.
Kasmuel McOoure, a rising voice within the ODM Youth League, issued a public statement strongly condemning both Ruto’s remarks and internal party suggestions that torture could serve as an alternative policing method.
“President Ruto’s remarks were not only wrong, but dangerously reckless for a nation that is rebuilding. They have rightly been condemned by my party leader and by many Kenyans of conscience across the country,” read the X statement on Wednesday, 16 July 2025.
McOure’s remarks come amid public outrage over the government’s heavy-handed response to recent anti-tax protests. President Ruto’s call for police to shoot protesters to incapacitate them, rather than kill, has been viewed by critics as an endorsement of excessive force. Human rights organisations and opposition figures have called the comments a threat to civil liberties.
But the ODM Youth League has also come under scrutiny following a viral media clip. In the clip, unnamed members of the youth wing allegedly suggest that detained protesters might be better held for torture and interrogation instead of being harmed on the streets. The statement drew widespread criticism and confusion online.
McOure distanced himself and the broader Youth League from such extreme views, emphasising constitutional law over reactionary politics.
“As we prepare to start the national process of dialogue next month, I’ve been tagged multiple times with a mainstream media clip,” he explained.
“The clip claims that the ODM Youth League discussed President Ruto’s shoot-to-incapacitate order, and that some within our ranks suggested it would be preferable for people to be held alive in torture chambers instead.”
ODM Leader Raila Odinga and President Ruto at State House, Mombasa. Photo courtesy.
Gen Z on conclave
The youth leader emphasised that no justification, political or moral, can override the protections enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
“In moments of contradiction, within the party or the Youth League, our true north is the Constitution of Kenya. That is the canon that binds us,” MCoure asserted.
He cited Article 25 of the Constitution, which protects certain rights as absolute and non-derogable, including the right to freedom from torture, cruel treatment, and the right to a fair trial.
“My position is grounded in the supreme law of the land,” he continued. “Article 25 explicitly states: ‘Despite any other provision in this Constitution, the following rights and fundamental freedoms shall not be limited—freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment…’”
McOure’s statement is being interpreted as both a moral stand and a subtle internal rebuke. As ODM prepares to participate in national dialogue with the government, clarity and constitutional alignment within its ranks may prove essential to its credibility.
Analysts suggest MCoure’s comments signal a critical effort to re-centre the ODM Youth League around Kenya’s legal and democratic foundations, especially as the political climate becomes more polarised.
“Any resolution or rhetoric that contradicts this sacred provision [of the Constitution] is not only ill-advised, but also void,” he warned.
McOure’s intervention adds a new layer to the national conversation, one that challenges not only state power but also the opposition’s internal discipline. His clear stance serves as a reminder that accountability must apply across the board.