Kenyan President William Ruto has condemned the violence that flared during nationwide protests on 25 June and has pledged stronger protection for security officers. In his first extended public remarks since the unrest, the president warned that attacks on the police threaten national stability, telling officials at State House on 28 June that the government "cannot have a country where criminals are running after police officers." Ruto said demonstrations must remain peaceful and within the bounds of the constitution, criticizing protesters who looted businesses, torched police stations and stole firearms. Addressing calls for his resignation, the president challenged opponents to present a constitutional path for political change rather than, as he put it, "anarchy dressed in freedom colours." Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, speaking separately, placed the casualty toll from the clashes at roughly 400 injured—including 300 police officers—and "over 10" deaths. He said five guns were stolen and dozens of police vehicles and stations were damaged. Murkomen urged officers to use lethal force against armed attackers, a stance the Law Society of Kenya warned could lead to unlawful killings. Civil-rights groups accuse police of excessive force, citing the deaths of at least 16 people during the protests and the earlier custodial death of a teacher. Ruto, under growing domestic pressure, reiterated that he will "stand for every man and woman in uniform" while insisting protesters retain the right to demonstrate peacefully if unarmed.