CS Muturi to President Ruto: Bring an end to abductions, extra-judicial killings now
Muturi said there was an urgent need for the government to focus on these grave matters, calling them “gruesome” and warning that if left unchecked, they could lead the country into chaos.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has issued a direct call to President William Ruto, demanding immediate action to address the alarming rise in abductions and extrajudicial killings in the country.
Addressing the media at the City Mortuary on Friday, Muturi said there was an urgent need for the government to focus on these grave matters, calling them “gruesome” and warning that if left unchecked, they could lead the country into chaos.
More To Read
- Justin Muturi: Rebel with a cause or political maverick?
- CS Muturi under fire over abduction remarks as MPs threaten impeachment
- Pressure mounts on NIS boss Noordin Haji as lobby calls for his resignation over abduction scandal
- CS Muturi: My son was abducted by NIS officers, only to be released after Ruto intervened
Muturi, addressing his boss, President Ruto, said that the responsibility for these incidents rests with the government, particularly him as the Commander in Chief.
“The buck must stop somewhere. Mr. President, I am calling upon you now to order an end to these abductions and open an inquiry to examine how these things have been happening. We cannot normalize this. These are very young lives that have been taken away. Their parents have been agonising,” he said.
The CS bashed the normalisation of extrajudicial killings, noting that it is the government's duty to protect its citizens, not preside over their deaths.
CS Justin Muturi to President Ruto: Mr President, I’m calling upon you, now, to order an end to these abductions and extra-judicial killings that you promised and open an inquiry into how these things have been happening. We cannot make them normal. pic.twitter.com/2bjqxdDosQ
— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) January 31, 2025
Muturi recalled that during his 2022 campaigns, President Ruto had pledged to end forced disappearances, yet the issue continues to persist.
Muturi’s comments were prompted by the tragic discovery of the bodies of two Mlolongo men at the Nairobi Funeral Home (formerly City Mortuary).
The two men, who had been missing for over a month, were identified as Mutumwa Musyoki and Martin Mwau. A third man remains missing.
The CS accompanied by the families of the missing men and their lawyers, viewed the bodies at the mortuary and demanded that the government take stronger measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Sympathising with the families, Muturi said it was unacceptable that the relatives have been looking for their loved ones for more than 40 days, yet the issue of abductions is not being discussed at a high level.
“It's not right that parents and relatives can stay for periods in excess of 40 days looking for their loved ones and you sit somewhere claiming that you're discussing matters of the economy. Economy for who if you’re killing and abducting the young ones? He posed.
“Why do we have young men abducted and killed? These must come to a stop,” Muturi added.
Muturi, who had previously been able to reach the President when his own son was abducted, expressed concern for those who do not have the same access.
“I was lucky that when my son was abducted I was lucky to reach the president. How about this parent who cannot reach the president?” he asked.
Turning the heat on the National Police Service, the former Attorney General also faulted the police, accusing them of failing to act on abductions despite having the necessary resources and expertise.
He said it was not adding up that the police didn’t know who was behind the abductions.
“We can’t be told that the police don’t know. Our police is known to be one of the most efficient in this region and therefore if they wanted to crack this matter and bring the culprits to book, it would be a matter of days or hours,” Muturi added.
While addressing the media, the Public Service made it clear that he was not aware of any government policy that supports abductions or extrajudicial killings.
He further urged human rights organisations, such as the Kenya Human Rights Commission, to apply more pressure on the government to take action on this issue.
This is the second time Muturi has publicly come out to censure the government in which he is serving over the cases.
The CS, however, was noncommittal when asked about his plan to resign from his office due to his continued attacks against the government.
"That is a side issue. This is a serious matter. It suffices that I have made a point," he said.
"The issue of my resignation or not… It suffices that I sit in government, and I am calling on the government, whose head is the President, that this matter of abductions must be discussed.”
Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of Haki Africa, also spoke at the press conference, revealing that the number of missing Mlolongo men was four, not three as previously reported.
Top Stories Today
