Gachagua blames NIS for surge in abductions, calls on Ruto to address the matter
He claimed he had warned President William Ruto during his tenure as Deputy President about the dangers of using force and intimidation as a governance strategy.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of orchestrating abductions to suppress dissent and silence critics.
Speaking during a press conference at his Mathira home in Nyeri County on Friday, Gachagua claimed the government is using fear tactics to intimidate young people, particularly after their vocal rejection of the 2024 Finance Bill.
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"If you speak out against the government, you will be picked up by the now-famous Subaru boys and disappear," Gachagua said.
"The purpose of this message is to intimidate the young men and women of our nation and discourage them from ever speaking out again the way they did when they expressed their disagreement with the Finance Bill," he added.
Gachagua described the alleged abductions as a "security crisis" and criticised the National Intelligence Service (NIS) for failing to address the issue.
He claimed he had warned President William Ruto during his tenure as Deputy President about the dangers of using force and intimidation as a governance strategy.
"Today, I want to speak directly to President William Ruto on this matter. He knows that I was strongly opposed to this kind of idea and took every opportunity available to speak against those who felt that force is a strategy we can use to manage Kenyans," he explained.
The former Deputy President also accused Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja of denying the reality of abductions despite evidence to the contrary.
"Close to 100 Kenyans have been abducted, and most are still to be found. Your security chiefs have confirmed that abductions are happening," he said.
On Thursday, IG Kanja dismissed allegations of police involvement in the abductions. "The National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the country that is holding the reported abductees," he said.
He called on the public to provide information to assist investigations and assured that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) would probe the matter.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) revealed that 82 Kenyans have been abducted since June 2024, with six cases reported this month alone.
Public outcry continues to grow, with figures like Narc-K party leader Martha Karua and Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah urging clarity and accountability from the government.
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