NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 10 — A wave of memes mocking President William Ruto’s controversial directive for police to shoot protesters in the leg has flooded the social media, with critics accusing the Head of State of endorsing brutality in the face of growing dissent.One viral image shared by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua — an AI-generated photo showing dozens of people walking on crutches — summed up the outrage. Gachagua, now the DCP party leader, used the image to ridicule what he called the president’s “war on the people who made him president.”In a fiery statement accompanying the image on Thursday night, Gachagua accused Ruto of orchestrating violence against communities while shielding those responsible. He questioned the credibility of the police in investigating recent unrest, alleging that officers not only failed to stop the chaos but actively facilitated it.“How do we report state-sponsored militia and those who organized them to the police who supervised them as they burned and looted property?” he asked.“You are asking us to name those who organised? I named you as the person responsible for unleashing violence against the community that made you President.”Ruto says police to immobilize vandals, take them to courtGachagua further slammed the president’s remarks directing police to shoot lawbreakers “on the foot” to immobilize them, calling it an insult to injury.The comment — made by Ruto on Thursday during a visibly heated address in response to recent anti-government protests — has drawn sharp rebuke from human rights organizations, opposition leaders, and the public at large.Speaking in Nairobi’s Kilimani during the launch of the police affordable housing project, the President condemned the escalating destruction of property witnessed during recent anti-government demonstrations and declared a zero-tolerance approach to lawlessness.“Anybody torching and destroying another person’s business should be shot in the feet and taken to the hospital pending court appearance,” he told police chiefs.Social media users responded with satire and scathing humor as crutches-themed memes, AI-generated videos, and mocking hashtags went gone viral.The response comes a day after opposition figures pushed another hashtag — WeAreAllKikuyu — underscoring growing digital defiance against the state.