President William Ruto has maintained forced disappearances and abductions have no place in Kenya.
Speaking during the State of the Nation Address, the President noted that numerous allegations have been made about the disappearance of people during protests.
He said a number of these cases have been resolved while others have been uncovered as fake news, undermining efforts to find genuine cases of missing persons.
“A good number of disappearances have also turned out to be arrests made by police offices. In such cases, the suspects have been duly arraigned in court,” he said.
“I must however, make it very clear: there is no attempt to justify or exercise illegal arrests,” he added.
He said such would be The President condemned any excessive or extra judicial action which puts lives or liberty of any person at risk including disappearances and threat to life.
He urged Kenyans with information of such cases to inform the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) where they suspect police to be involved
“I am aware many of the cases that have been raises are being handled by IPOA,” he added.
The President pointed out that protests are always legitimate and permitted by the Constitution.
“Protests are conducted by people who are peaceful and unarmed. Assemblies, demonstrations, and picketing to advance constitutionalism to increase accountability and defend rule of law are constitutional imperatives,” he said.
“Conversely, mobilisation in pursuit of criminal agenda chaos and anarchy are explicitly forbidden.”
He noted that in this digital age, it has never been easier to inform, educate, and entertain the people.
“At the same time, it has never been easier to misinform, mislead, disinform, incite, and alarm the public,” he said.
He maintained that criminals who infiltrate and hijack peaceful protests are a threat to legitimate protestors and the public.
“Criminality in the name of protests threatens the safety of innocent people, public assets and private property and order,” he said.
