Former Chief Justice David Maraga has hit out at President William Ruto following the alleged abduction of Juja MP George Koimburi.
In a statement on Monday, May 26, Maraga condemned the incident, which he said raised serious concerns about the government's commitment to the rule of law and human rights.
He also questioned the credibility of Ruto’s assurance that abductions and forced disappearances would end under his administration.
“Reports that Hon. George Koimburi, Member of Parliament for Juja, has been found unconscious at a farm near Kibichoi in Githunguri constituency, are reprehensible. This is a day after he was abducted from a church service.
“Kenyans will recall that President Ruto, when hosting the President of Finland, assured Kenyans that abductions will end. Was that a confirmation that state agencies are involved? Did he lie about ending abductions?” he posed.
Read More
Maraga called for reflection, noting that Kenya cannot continue on a path marked by lawlessness and disregard for human life.
“We cannot continue to be a country governed by leaders who have no regard for the rule of law and human life. We must reset Kenya to accountability and constitutionalism. We must restore human dignity and value for human life,” he added.
On Monday morning, Koimburi was found dumped at a coffee farm in Kiambu County, a day after being forcefully taken by unknown individuals outside the Full Gospel Church in Mugutha.
Speaking after visiting Koimburi in hospital, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua revealed that the lawmaker was tortured by his abductors.
Gachagua also detailed that the MP could not speak and was only able to write down what had happened to him.
According to the former DP, the MP reportedly inhaled a chemical during his capture, hence his inability to speak.
Gachagua added that Koimburi has soft tissue injuries, pointing to torture by professionals.
"Some chemical was administered through inhalation, and the doctors have told us that preliminary investigations confirm that the chemical has interfered with his vocal cords," he stated.
Notably, speaking in State House on Monday, May 13, Ruto sparked mixed reactions after saying Kenyans who were abducted during the Gen Z protests were reunited with their families.
He made the revelation while responding to questions raised by journalists during the joint press briefing with Finland's President Alexander Stubb.
While Ruto did not reveal those who were behind the abductions, he said accountability measures were being put in place to ensure that such incidents do not occur again.
"All the people who disappeared or were abducted in what you said (Gen Z protests) have been brought back to their families and their homes.
"I have given firm instructions that nothing of that kind of nature will ever happen again. It was my commitment as I became President that the extrajudicial disappearance of Kenyans would not be part of what we are doing as a nation," he stated.
