President William Ruto taking notes during Kisumu Town Hall meeting. Photo | Courtesy.
President William Ruto has come out to say that he has no information of any Kenyan reportedly abducted by the country’s security agencies during or after the recent spate of anti-government protests across the nation.
President Ruto who spoke during a town hall session in Kisumu on Thursday 29th August, urged citizens whose kin or friends have reportedly gone missing under mysterious circumstances during protests to come forward with their names to action to be taken by the government.
The Head of State tasked Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, who was also present, to take up the matter and ensure that the cases are followed to the latter and the missing individuals found.
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“If there is a family that their child or friend or relative went to a demonstration, whether it is last year or this year, and never came back, I want to know the names because I will take firm and decisive action,” he said.
He continued: “Because as I talk to you today, I don’t have a single name of somebody who has been abducted or disappeared. The PS for Interior, Raymond, is here. Kama uko na jina ya mtu alienda maandamano na akapotea, haijulikana mahali yuko, tunataka jina yake, familia yake wakuje.Patia huyu mngwana hayo majina. {If there is anyone who went to demonstrate and never returned home, we want the family to come and present their names. Give it to this gentleman (Raymond Omollo)} we will deal with that situation.”
“Because Kenyans have a right of association within the parameters of the law, and no Kenyan should be subjected to inhuman treatment because of their political persuasion,” he said.
The President went ahead to reiterate his promise to Kenyans during the campaign period that he would end the era of extrajudicial killings and State-enforced disappearances if elected to top office. However his utterance come at the backdrop of rampant abductions that have seen more than 60 Kenyans arbitrarily arrested and bundled into unmarked vehicles by masked men suspected to be security personnel.
Police chiefs are claiming that they are not involved in the arrests, fueling speculation on who is behind the abductions.
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Ruto cited the case of River Yala where at least 40 bodies were found dumped in 2022, noting that his administration will endeavour to protect the lives of all citizens regardless of their political leanings.
“I made a commitment to the people of Kenya, that under my administration, I do not want a situation where a Kenyan disappears. There were days when people were found in River Yala here, executed. I want to promise the people of Kenya that under my administration, there will be no Kenyans in River Yala or any other place,” the head of state said.
