Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua believes that President William Ruto’s lack of response regarding the recent abductions indicates they are occurring with his approval.
Speaking in Nyeri on Friday, Gachagua asserted that President Ruto must take full responsibility and address the situation, or the incidents will persist without oversight.
“To remain silent or inactive is to suggest that these actions are being carried out with his knowledge and consent,” he stated.
Gachagua further claimed that it is impossible to overlook the fact that the victims are solely linked by their criticism of President Ruto and his administration, observing that the state cannot afford to dissociate from the issue.
He criticized the police force for being lax in handling the worrying situation, pointing out that it is illogical for the police to deny awareness of the abductions given the abundant evidence.
“How can the police still be in denial when there are witnesses, CCTV footage and countless grieving families coming forward,” he remarked.
“Our security agencies are either complicit or severely incompetent and unable to take decisive action on one of the most significant crises the country has faced under this administration. ”
He also accused the government of victimizing him after he criticized the National Intelligence Service (NIS) for being ineffective and endangering national security.
“When I raised concern about the dysfunctionality of the NIS I was accused of being insubordinate. However, the events of recent months have unfortunately validated my position,” Gachagua noted.
He referred to comments he made against the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General, Noordin Haji, holding him responsible for the anti-government protests in June, which resulted in fatalities and damage.
Gachagua called for Haji to resign to allow for the appointment of a more capable Director General.
These statements led to a lawsuit against him, seemingly triggering efforts to remove him from office.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported that since June, 29 individuals have been documented as missing due to abductions.
The commission added that to date, there have been 13 abduction cases reported in the last three months, increasing the overall total to 82 cases since June 2024.
