Editor's Review

"I made a commitment to the people of Kenya that under my administration, I do not want a situation where a Kenyan disappears."

President William Ruto has claimed that he is not aware of any incidents of kidnapping or forced disappearances during the recent anti-government protests. 

Speaking during a town hall session in Kisumu on Thursday, August 29, the president asserted that he did not have a single name of a Kenyan kidnapped during the demonstrations.

The Head of State urged families whose relatives have reportedly gone missing to come forward and provide the names so that he can take action.

“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. Because as I talk to you today, I don’t have a single name of somebody who has been abducted or disappeared," Ruto remarked.

He went ahead to affirm that Kenyans have a right of association within the law and therefore no one should be subjected to any inhumane treatment because of their political persuasion.

President William Ruto.

President Ruto reiterated his promise of ending forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

"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,” he explained.

His remarks come after a number of Kenyans took to social media previously to raise concerns over abductions of young people by security agencies during the anti-government protests.

Some of the victims, mainly social media influencers, were later found with a section of Kenyans and politicians condemning the incidents.