President William Ruto has emphasized that there will be no extrajudicial killings in the nation during his tenure.
He made this statement while addressing inquiries at a town hall meeting in Kisumu on Thursday evening.
Ruto urged individuals who have relatives missing and presumed abducted amid the recent anti-government demonstrations to provide the names of these individuals for investigation purposes.
“Under my administration, I do not wish to see any Kenyan go missing. There have been instances in the past where numerous individuals were discovered – 20, 30 – in River Yala, having been executed. I assure the citizens of Kenya that there will be no cases of Kenyans found in River Yala or any other location under my leadership,” Ruto said.
A local resident reported that some participants in the Gen Z-led anti-tax protests had vanished after taking to the streets, allegedly abducted by individuals believed to be police or state agents.
The President urged anyone with a missing family member, whose fate remains uncertain following their involvement in the protests, to submit the name to the Interior Ministry for appropriate action.
“If there’s any family that their child or their friend or relative went to a demonstration, whether last year or this year and never came back, I want to know the names because I will take firm and decisive action,” Ruto said.
“As I talk to you today, I don’t have a name of somebody who has been abducted or disappeared,” he added.
Human rights organizations reported that 50 individuals lost their lives during the protests, while 413 others sustained injuries as large crowds of Kenyans took to the streets in June to express their opposition to the contested Finance Bill of 2024.
The Kenya National Human Rights Commission stated in its report dated July 16, 2024, that “those found responsible, whether they are civilians or security personnel, should face legal charges.”
This figure is distinct from the remains discovered at a dumpsite in the Kware area of Embakasi subcounty in Nairobi, where a suspect, who has since fled police custody, admitted to murdering 42 women and disposing of their dismembered bodies in an abandoned quarry.
Ruto indicated that the precise count of deaths and injuries resulting from the protests remains unverified; however, a framework is being developed to ensure that those who suffered losses or injuries receive appropriate compensation.
