During his election campaign two years ago, Ruto criticized the previous administration of President Uhuru Kenyatta for alleged abductions and extrajudicial killings, vowing to end such practices. However, recent events have raised concerns about the fulfilment of the pledge.
Since the Gen-Z-led protests in June, which forced the government to shelve plans to introduce additional taxes, dozens of young people have been reported missing, with human rights groups accusing the police of being behind their disappearances. The police continue to deny these claims.
In the latest wave of abductions, some of which have been captured on camera by witnesses and surveillance footage, at least three young people were recently abducted after sharing AI-generated images of Ruto in a casket that some considered offensive.
Among those abducted is popular cartoonist Kibet Bull, whose real name is Gideon Kibet. His images of the president went viral.
Kibet disappeared after meeting opposition senator Okiya Omtatah on Christmas Eve.
Kibet's younger brother, Ronny Kiplangat, who has also been missing for several days, is believed by their family to have been used as bait by security forces to lure Kibet.
'(Kibet) boarded a matatu after my driver dropped him off in the city centre. As they have done with others, they must have blocked the matatu and snatched him from it,' said Omtatah, who harbours presidential ambitions for the 2027 elections.
'If you look at the attitude of the police, they know what is happening. The state is simply allowing it or acquiescing to it."
Like many young Kenyans, Kibet was once an ardent supporter of President Ruto but has, in recent years, become a critic of the government, accusing it of corruption, failing to address unemployment, and not fulfilling its promises to turn around the economy.
Both the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have denied abducting or arresting the trio. However, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached in October for allegedly sabotaging President Ruto's administration, insists the government is behind the abductions.
Addressing the press in Nairobi on Friday, Gachagua claimed that the abductions were being carried out by a secret unit, not under the command of the Inspector General of Police.
According to Gachagua, the unit, with officers drawn from various departments, operates from a building in Nairobi's Central Business District.
'There's a building in Nairobi, the 21st floor in the city centre, where the unit operates from, led by a certain Mr. Abel. Abel is a cousin to a very senior official in this government,' Gachagua revealed.
The former Deputy President threatened to expose more details about the secret unit if the abducted individuals are not released.
He added that Kenyan citizens are angry with Ruto's administration, saying, 'Killing our children will not quell the anger of the Kenyan people.'
'Abducting young people is not a solution; you must address the cause of discontent. Why are people aggrieved with this administration?'
A few hours later, President Ruto, accompanied by opposition leader Raila Odingaâ€"whose allies have joined Ruto's Cabinet in a broad-based government formed after the Gen-Z protestsâ€"promised to end the abductions.
Odinga had criticized the state-linked abductions of critics, saying the country cannot tolerate a "gangster state."
Widely recognized as Kenya's second liberation hero, Odinga was a victim of the brutal regime of the late President Daniel Arap Moi during the fight for multiparty democracy in the 90s. He warned that allowing the abductions to continue could risk taking the country back to the dark days of "Nyayo Torture Chambers".
Ruto acknowledged the concerns but also warned the youth to be "disciplined."
'What has been said about abductions, we will stop them so Kenyan youth can live in peace, but they should have discipline and be polite so that we can build Kenya together,' Ruto said at a stadium in Homa Bay, in the west of the country.
In addition to the abductions of young Kenyans, the abduction of Uganda's opposition chief Kizza Besigye in Nairobi by Ugandan security agents recently also drew widespread condemnation.
Besigye and his close associate Hajj Obeid Lutale were picked up in Nairobi while attending the launch of a book written by former justice minister Martha Karua and whisked back home, where they were locked up in a military facility before being produced in a martial court.
The duo faces charges of undermining national security and illegal possession of firearms.
Various rights groups and lawyers have criticized Kenya's complicity in the abductions, saying it tarnishes Kenya's image as a democratic safe haven. They accuse its authorities of failing to prevent or investigate the incident, thereby jeopardizing regional stability and the rule of law.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/politics-48/article/kenya-on-the-spot-over-state-linked-abductions
