President William Ruto of Kenya has promised to put an end to the recent spate of abductions, which have been condemned by rights groups, lawyers, and politicians.
Security agencies in the country have been accused of carrying out dozens of illegal detentions since youth-led anti-government demonstrations in June and July. The latest disappearances involved young men who have allegedly criticized Ruto online.
Kenya’s police have denied involvement in the recent abductions targeting government critics.
Speaking to a crowd in Homa Bay, a town in western Kenya, Ruto promised to stop the abductions and urged parents to take responsibility for their children. “We are going to stop the abductions so that our youth can live peacefully,” he said.
Ruto had addressed the issue in his yearly State of the Nation speech in November, condemning any excessive or extrajudicial actions, while stressing that many of the detentions were legitimate arrests against criminals and subversive elements.
Despite these assurances, tension has continued to surge in the country, with the latest abductions triggering small-scale protests in at least one town.
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