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.

The death toll from Kenya’s latest anti-government protest has surged to 31, according to the state-funded human rights commission.

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.