IG Kanja Says Police May Resort to Live Bullets During Demonstrations

Kenya’s Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, has warned that financial constraints within the National Police Service are limiting access to essential crowd-control equipment, raising the risk of officers resorting to live ammunition during demonstrations.

Appearing before the Administration and Internal Security Committee chaired by Gabriel Tongoyo, Kanja said recent protests had depleted stocks of non-lethal tools such as teargas canisters. He added that inadequate funding had also left the service without enough vehicles, slowing police response and affecting service delivery.

His remarks followed fresh unrest in Githurai, where traders protested the demolition of roadside stalls by the Kenya National Highways Authority. Demonstrators blocked sections of the Thika Superhighway, set tyres alight and erected barricades, disrupting transport and business along the busy route. Police were deployed to disperse crowds after two days of disruption.

Amid the tensions, a viral social media post falsely claimed that Kanja had authorised a “shoot-to-kill” directive against protesters. The National Police Service dismissed the graphic, which carried a local news logo, as fabricated. In its statement, the service stressed that no such order had been issued and reaffirmed that operational decisions remain guided by constitutional provisions on the use of force.