Kenyan President Ruto Vows to End Abductions Amid Growing Outrage
Kenyan President William Ruto has pledged to put an end to abductions following a surge in disappearances that have drawn widespread condemnation from rights groups, lawyers, and politicians.
Since youth-led anti-government protests in June and July, security forces in Kenya have been accused of conducting numerous illegal detentions. The latest incidents largely involve young men who have voiced criticism of Ruto online, prompting rights groups to reject police denials of involvement and demand immediate action.
Addressing a crowd in Homa Bay, a town in western Kenya, on Friday, Ruto promised to halt the abductions while urging parents to take greater responsibility for their children. “We are going to stop the abductions so that our youth can live peacefully,” he said, according to local media reports.
Ruto previously addressed the issue in his annual state of the nation speech in November, condemning “any excessive or extrajudicial” actions by security forces. However, he also justified many detentions as legitimate arrests targeting “criminals and subversive elements.”
Public anger continues to escalate, with the recent disappearances sparking small-scale protests in at least one town. Police have denied involvement, but activists have questioned their apparent lack of investigation into the cases.
“If indeed the police are not complicit,” the Law Society of Kenya said, “they must immediately investigate and prosecute those responsible.”
Human Rights Watch has previously reported that its findings point to a covert unit comprising members from multiple security agencies as being responsible for the abductions.
Ruto’s comments come on the heels of allegations by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who claimed a secretive unit was orchestrating the disappearances.
“Abducting these children and killing them is not a solution,” Gachagua said. “This is the first administration in the history of this country to target children for repression.”
The abductions have fueled growing demands for accountability and intensified scrutiny of Kenya’s security forces, highlighting the tension between maintaining order and safeguarding human rights in the East African nation.
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