Former Chief Justice David Maraga has criticised President Ruto after he said that all Kenyans who were abducted have been reunited with their families.
According to the former CJ, it was unconscionable for the President to claim all missing persons had been reunited with their families without issuing any apology.
He went on to slam the Head of State claiming that there are no ongoing incidents of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings and that accountability mechanisms are in effect.
Former CJ questions President Ruto’s remarks over abductions. Photo: Courtesy.
“Brian Odhiambo’s mother continues to search for her son, who was abducted four months ago. There are many other similar cries for justice as we have seen in the petition launched on Mother’s Day by the parents of youth killed during the protests in June 2024. Such utterances are deeply hurtful, especially to parents still mourning the loss of their children. How long shall the lives of innocent Kenyans be so devalued and dismissed?”
Maraga moreover cited a report by the civic coalition Missing Voices that revealed that there were a total of 159 documented killings and enforced disappearances in 2024, with 104 of these cases being police killings and 55 cases being enforced disappearances.
He further called for the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of all persons from enforced disappearance.
The remarks comes hours after Ruto assured Kenyans that all reported missing persons have been safely reunited with their families.
Speaking during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ruto noted that accountability measures were being put in place to ensure that such incidents do not occur again.
