Interior and National Administration Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo has denied allegations that the government is behind the disappearance of activists.
He stated that enforced abductions are no longer tolerated under President William Ruto’s administration.
Omollo said what he described as the country’s “abduction culture” ended with the previous administration and insisted the government is committed to the rule of law and constitutional protections.
“The abduction culture is long gone. We had that challenge in the last administration, where people were being abducted while others were being found in rivers. Since we took over government, President Ruto has been clear that there will be nothing like that,” he said.
Omollo said security agencies had handled recent anti-government protests in accordance with the law, adding that those arrested during the demonstrations were taken through the judicial process.
“The other day, we had peaceful protests. Kenyans who wanted to demonstrate peacefully did so, while those with a different intention also went ahead. Those who were arrested were taken to court, not just recently but also during previous protests,” he said.
The principal secretary also alleged that some reported abduction cases were fabricated to portray the government in a negative light.
“We have also had people who claimed they were abducted, but in the end, you find that they were hiding themselves in a bid to make it appear that the government is not keen on the well-being of Kenyans,” he said.
He maintained that there have been no state-sponsored abductions under Ruto’s leadership and urged families of missing persons to report such cases to the police for investigation.
“There are no abductions under the watch of President Ruto. If anyone is missing, the law is clear. The matter should be be reported as a missing person’s case, and if there is evidence that someone was abducted, it is important to indicate who abducted them so that investigations can be car⁷ried out,” he said.
Omollo described some reported disappearances as “purported abductions”, claiming some individuals deliberately concealed themselves before resurfacing.
“The cases that I would call purported abductions are people sleeping or locking themselves in their bedrooms before coming out to claim they were abducted,” he said.
He also called on the media to expose people he accused of staging abductions, alleging that some locked themselves indoors or admitted themselves to hospital before reappearing and blaming the government.
“The media should help us call out some of these characters. Until today, we are yet to hear anyone call out those who lock themselves in their bedrooms or admit themselves to hospital, causing unnecessary anxiety to make the government look bad,” he said.
Omollo said the government respects constitutional rights, including freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, provided demonstrations are conducted within the law.
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