Murang'a Senator: Arrest Gachagua if he is behind abductions

Political leaders have politicised the ongoing abductions and enforced disappearances of government critics, accusing one another of committing the unlawful acts. The Eastleigh Voice Political Reporter Barack Oduor spoke to Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, an ardent ally of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on claims that Gachagua could be behind the abductions to seek political sympathy.

Q: Majority Leader in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung'wah accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of being behind the ongoing wave of abducting State critics. As Gachagua's ally, do you believe Ichung'wa's claims are correct?

A: If Kimani Ichung'wah really knows that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is abducting Kenyans, is he telling the country and the whole world that Gachagua is above the law? Ichung'wah is in government and he was accusing Gachagua in front of the President. He should have told the President to go and get these carrying out abductions.

The president should then instruct the security apparatus to go for the former Deputy President. Our question is then why have they not arrested Gachagua or have him questioned as it should be?

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Why is the government not acting on this? I think it was the most irresponsible thing to be said by Kimani Ichung'wah in recent times.

Q: Why are politicians politicising abductions at a time when parents and Kenyans at large are in pain over these heinous acts?

A: On our part, we are not politicising the abductions. We are just saying that it is an ugly thing and a bad thing to be done in this country. The strides that we have made in the democracy of this country cannot allow us to be taken back to many years ago!

Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu says former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua should face arrest if investigations prove he is involved in the recent abductions.

"If Kimani Ichung’wah knows that the former Deputy President is the one abducting Kenyans. Does he want to tell Kenyans… pic.twitter.com/HQ7YG0ZGt7

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) January 6, 2025

These are things that used to happen before multiparty politics. Even former President Daniel Moi stopped doing it after multiparty. I mean these things happened in the 70s and 80s. So we cannot allow someone to take us back to that era of abductions and detentions.

What we are saying is that if you occupy a position of leadership through election, you must be ready to take criticism from our young men. We also take criticism and do not organise abductions. The president should accept to be criticized because he was elected by Kenyans.

Q: Do politicians really understand the danger of politicising the matter of abductions and enforced disappearances that borders on national security?

A: As a senior government official, Kimani Ichung'wah never addressed the issue at hand! The issue is that there are some Kenyans who have been abducted and have not been released so far. He instead went for Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya's jugular instead of addressing the real issue.

If he has any evidence that Governor Natembeya was involved in any killings in Kerio Valley and the throwing of bodies in River Yala, then he should go and record a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Ichung'wah is therefore evasive and does not want to address the real issue of telling us where the Kenyans who get abducted are taken.

Q: What do you think makes it difficult to have those abducted presented to court if at all they have broken the law?

A: At no given time did I think that any leader would come to rule Kenya and encourage abductions and worst of all make Kenyans experience killings, just because people are expressing their political views.

Just because people disagree with the policies of the government is making them get killed. This is very disappointing and a very bad way of starting the year because we are seeing parents crying and searching for their children.

The disturbing thing is that the president promised that the young men that have been abducted will be released and up to date they have not been released over ten days since that promise was made.

Like everybody, we are very much afraid and fearful that the young men who were abducted could have their lives taken if action is not taken. That could be the reason why they are not getting released without pressure. The most disappointing thing is to hear the president saying that the police is an independent body, but still placing blame on the Inspector General of Police.

Q: Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said he knows persons conducting abductions and threatened to expose them. Why can't he do this for the benefit of Kenyans who are agonising over their missing kin?

A: Of course we have information from the second Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that there is a clique of some officers who are operating outside the confines of the law. I believe he will expose them to Kenyans soon.