The nation is reeling after an explosive backlash erupted following President William Ruto’s stunning remarks downplaying the ongoing crisis of abductions and enforced disappearances in Kenya. Two of Kenya’s most prominent voices—former Chief Justice David Maraga and Martha Karua, leader of the People’s Liberation Party—have erupted in fury, demanding immediate investigations and justice for the victims.
In an unprecedented rebuke, Maraga condemned Ruto’s statement, calling it “heartless and alarming.” The President had casually claimed that there were no current disappearances and all victims had returned home—statements that have deeply offended families still searching for loved ones.
“How can the Head of State brush off such tragedies without even a whisper of an apology to the grieving families?” Maraga asked, referencing the unresolved case of Brian Odhiambo, who vanished months ago under the watch of Kenya Wildlife Service officers.
He further exposed the government’s failure to act on recommendations from the UN’s May 1 Universal Periodic Review, which called for thorough investigations into the use of excessive force during protests. “Justice is not optional—it is constitutional. The blood of our youth cries from the ground.”
On her part, Martha Karua didn’t hold back. In a fiery statement, she demanded that President Ruto acknowledge not just the abductions—but the sinister role of security forces in extrajudicial killings, as captured in the jaw-dropping BBC exposé “Blood Parliament.”
“Ruto has opened Pandora’s box, and he must go all the way. Admit the role of police death squads, name those involved, and take action now,” Karua said.
The outrage comes on the heels of a damning report released on May 7, titled “Brutal Policing: 2024 Annual Report,” which exposed 159 chilling cases of police-linked murders and disappearances in 2024 alone. A staggering 65% were police killings, and the remaining 35% were disappearances.
While Ruto’s May 12 promise to “end the abductions” seemed like an attempt at damage control, Maraga and Karua have made it clear—words are not enough. The nation wants justice.
Kenya now finds itself at a moral crossroads, with increasing pressure mounting both locally and internationally for the government to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance—a treaty Kenya has shockingly failed to sign, despite holding a seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
