Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah Okoiti has responded strongly to President William Ruto’s call for the names of missing protesters who took part in anti-government demonstrations that swept across Kenya in July 2024.
The president’s statement, made during a tense town hall meeting in Kisumu on Thursday night August 29, 2024, has reignited debate over the said disappearances and treatment of protesters during the Gen Z-led demonstrations.
During the town hall, Ruto was asked to account for the protesters who went missing at the hands of government forces.
In a forceful rebuttal, the president denied any involvement by his administration in enforced disappearances, a statement that has drawn mixed reactions across the country.
“My good friend Sospeter, I made a commitment to the péople of Kenya and I want to look you in the face that under my administration, I do not want a situation where a Kenyan disappears,” Ruto declared.
“There were days when péople were found in River Yala here, executed. I want to promise you and promise the péople of Kenya that under my administration there will be no Kenyan in River Yala or any other river or in any other place.”
Ruto’s response continued with a challenge to the public: he asked Kenyans to provide him with the names of anyone who went missing during or after participating in demonstrations this year or the previous year.
“If, my good friend Sospeter, and I am here, if there is a family, any family, whose child or relative went to a demonstration, whether it was last year or this year, and never came back, I want to know the names because I will take firm and decisive action,” Ruto said, asserting his commitment to justice.
The president emphasized that he currently had no records of any missing persons linked to the protests, calling upon Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo to assist in gathering any such information.
“As I talk to you today, I don’t have a single name of somebody who has been abducted or disappeared,” Ruto said.
“The PS for Interior is here, Raymond. If Sospeter, kama uko na jina, mtu alienda maandamano akapotea, hajulikani mahali yuko, tunataka jina yake, familia yake wakuje. Patia huyu (PS Raymond Omollo) hio majina we will deal with that situation.”
Regarding compensation for victims of the demonstrations, Ruto explained that his administration is still working to determine the exact number of p****e affected and how to support their families.
“We are developing a framework because I made a commitment to the p****e of Kenya that we are going to consider, especially the p****e who died in the demonstrations, how we are going to support their families,” he stated.
Challenge accepted
In a quick and decisive move, Senator Okiya Omtatah responded to the president’s challenge.
In a tweet on Friday night, the human rights advocate called upon Kenyans to publicly provide the names of missing Gen Z protesters.
“The President has stated that he has NO information about any victims of Maandamano including abductees, killed, injured and still missing. Post the names here we share with @WilliamsRuto @StateHouseKenya,” Omtatah tweeted.
Omtatah’s call to action has intensified the spotlight on the government’s handling of the protests, particularly among the youth, and has reignited discussions about transparency, human rights, and justice in Kenya.