It's not my character: Nelson Koech walks back 'shoot to kill' remarks

Member of Parliament Belgut and National Assembly Defence Committee Chairperson Nelson Koech.  [File, Standard]

Belgut MP Nelson Koech has apologised for his “shoot to kill” remarks made last year, saying they do not reflect his character.

Speaking in an interview with Citizen TV on Thursday, February 5, Koech said he was embarrassed by the comments, which he said were made in the heat of the moment.

“I want to apologise. It is not my character, and I am totally embarrassed by that statement. It came in the heat of the moment, and I should have been more careful,’’ he said while responding to a question on extrajudicial killings.

He added that he may have been misquoted, but nonetheless offered an apology.

"I must have been misquoted. Those who know my character know I am not that kind of person. I unequivocally want to apologise. The sanctity of life is provided for and guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bible, which I believe in.”

In July last year, Koech defended President William Ruto’s directive allowing police to shoot violent protesters in the legs, but went further to suggest the use of lethal force in certain situations.

He said at the time that officers could “shoot to kill” if they assessed a threat and believed their lives were in danger.

“Anyone who wants to go to a protected area like the State House is not an ordinary person but a criminal, who is an armed person that must be dealt with equal force. And the only force that applies to such people is to shoot and kill,’’ Koech said last July.

Speaking at a public event in Chebirbei, Kericho County, the MP also warned that those who organised or financed violent demonstrations would be treated as terrorists.

He said the government would pursue not only the perpetrators but also their alleged backers and sympathisers.

Koech’s remarks came amid a wave of anti-government protests, during which some demonstrators attempted to access State House.