NAIROBI, Kenya -- Kenya’s president on Wednesday broke his silence on recent anti-government protests that left dozens dead, urging police to “break the legs" of those who stole and burned property during the demonstrations.

Simmering anger against President William Ruto’s government has boiled over into clashes between protesters and the police, who have deployed live rounds, tear gas and water cannons.

The number of people killed in Monday's anti-government protests in Kenya has risen to 31, the country's human rights commission said, sparking public outage and calls for justice. The state-run commission previously said that 11 people had died.