Amid furore over protest outcomes, Ruto pledges action against 'new problem' of abductions

President William Ruto says he will look into recent police abductions as part of his promise to lead an independent police service that is not influenced by politics.

Ruto said so on Friday during an X Space engagement with the public, during which participants expressed anger at the Finance Bill, 2024, which he has now withdrawn, and the outcomes of protests against this administration, which turned deadly.

"Let's agree first that the era of extrajudicial killings is no longer with us. There's a new problem called abduction, and it is something I am going to exercise my mind on because the police have clear rules on how to arrest citizens if they have to," he said, without specifying or detailing courses of action.

His admission that police abductions were happening came days after he defended the police against claims that they abducted former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter. In an interview broadcast live from the State House in Nairobi on June 30, the president said police arrests cannot be classified as kidnappings.

Records had shown that at least 32 people were taken from various locations by people believed to be police officers, held for hours for unknown reasons, and released without formal charges or court appearances.

In the same interview with senior journalists Linus Kaikai (Citizen TV), Joe Ageyo (NTV), and Eric Latiff (KTN), Ruto said no extrajudicial killings had taken place amid the demonstrations.

I was honoured to engage young people on X Space and to discuss the affairs of our country. I value their knowledge, ideas and suggestions on how to transform our country. I am also committed to addressing the issues they raised and the concerns they have to ensure we forge a… pic.twitter.com/myHmp0nVXg

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 5, 2024

Keter's case

Keter was abducted in broad daylight by masked and armed men who accosted him and his family as they left church. The incident was captured on camera by onlookers and shared on social media, attracting further condemnation of police conduct in the country.

In the interview, Ruto said, "You guys said it was an abduction, and now it turns out it was not an abduction, the police have said it was an arrest. I made a deliberate decision to make sure that the police operate independently. If the police summon Linus Kaikai and Linus Kaikai refuses to go to the police, are the police not entitled to come and look for you? When the police come to arrest you after they have summoned you and you didn't show up, is that an abduction?"

The remarks infuriated Kenyans who went on social media to dismiss the president's claims as lies.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) issued a clarification, saying, "Contrary to the misinformation circulating on social media on the alleged abduction of Hon Alfred Keter by unknown men, this is to confirm that Hon Keter was arrested earlier today by NPS Officers for Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms and Incitement to Violence."

It added that Keter was then booked at the Kamukunji Police Station and later released pending forensic analysis of exhibits.

"Thereafter, the file will be forwarded to the ODPP for direction. Police are urging members of the public to refrain from acts of violence, hate speech and malice for sustained peace and security in our beloved country," the DCI said.

Keter, who was later released, said he would not be intimidated into being silent about a government failing its people.

A screen grab shows former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter being taken by police officers outside Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Nairobi on June 30, 2024.

Photographic and video evidence

Police misconduct during the protests has been widely defended by government officials while being condemned by Kenyans and human rights organisations.

Pushed to admit that abductions and extra-judicial acts were committed by particular officers during the protests period, the president asked Kenyans with images of an alleged killer police officer, who was captured multiple times on camera exerting unnecessary force on protesters, to forward them to him for action.

"On the matter of this rogue police officer that you say is roaming, that is something that I would want to get exact details of ... who this is ... and I can tell you that we will apprehend him and deal with him in accordance with the law," Ruto said.

"Please forward the pictures and videos to me ...to Hussein Mohamed, my spokesman here, and also, I would appreciate it if you could send them to my inbox or the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)," he said.

The man believed to be a police officer has been linked with the shooting and killing of 29-year-old Rex Masai who was buried on Friday.

Cabinet approval

The president's call came a day after the Cabinet approved necessary action against officers found to be engaging in extra-judicial activities' as the anti-government protests continue.

"On any officers who may have acted outside the confines of the law, the Cabinet said they will be dealt with in accordance with legal procedures and by the institutions mandated to do so," the brief from the Thursday Cabinet meeting said.

The move, albeit a little late following a spate of abductions targeting the owners of accounts with large followings on the X platform, signals a decision by the government to heed Kenyans' call for an end to police brutality.

This brutality has been linked to the deaths that occurred during the protests, which took place across the country for three weeks.

During the engagement on X, the president apologised to Kenyans for his government's apparent lack of empathy for the many struggling to survive harsh economic times and promised to listen to the public's cries.

After the protests turned deadly and destructive on June 25, Ruto addressed a press briefing at which he condemned "criminals" behind the demonstrations and vowed action against them.

The tough-talking head of state neither touched on the deaths nor apologised to the public as had been expected. He appeared to soften over the next few days, following more criticism, and it was then that he promised austerity measures and offered to dialogue with the Gen Z, who led the protests, in determining the country's way forward.

He further vowed to take action against some of the government officials who, in his words, portray a regime full of largesse with their display of obnoxious opulence in acts of omission or commission.