Demos against abductions in Nairobi, Kenya

Since June last year, at least 82 cases of kidnapping have been reported in the country, of which 29 are still unsolved, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission. Recent kidnapping victims include Steve Mbisi of Machakos, Billy Mwangi (Embu), Peter Muteti (Nairobi), Bernard Kavuli (Nairobi), Gideon Kibet alias Kibet Bull (Nairobi) and Rony Kiplang'at (Kiambu). According to activists, with the increasing cases of kidnapping and ongoing extrajudicial killings, it is difficult for them to remain silent on the issue and they have no choice but to take to the streets. According to Hussein Khalid, CEO of Vocal Africa, Kenyans have the right to take to the streets and protest against the increasing cases of kidnapping. He added that the police should exercise restraint and give Kenyans an opportunity to demand an end to the atrocities.  "Article 37 of the Constitution is very clear: we are not asking the police to give them the right to protest. We are asking the police to enable Kenyans to exercise their constitutional rights," Khalid explained in a telephone interview. And these criminal activities are spreading even further. The political dispute between former Vice President Rigathi Gachagua and his former boss, President William Ruto, has taken a new turn. Gachagua has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to launch an investigation into the alleged resurgence of a criminal gang that he claims is sponsored by the government. Following their mysterious disappearance, 22-year-old Peter Muteti and 24-year-old Billy Mwangi were finally found alive after more than 15 days of searching. Although their abductors have not yet been identified, Mwangi and Muteti were found alive on January 6 when good Samaritans handed them over to their parents. The family of Muteti, who was also kidnapped in December last year, also confirmed that he was found alive. The latest development came after two weeks of intensified searches following their disappearance on December 21 last year under mysterious circumstances. According to reports, Peter Muteti was abducted at about 9am in Uthiru area of ​​Nairobi by four armed men who dragged him into a Toyota Prado. Family members who spoke to the press at the time claimed that their loved ones might have been abducted because of his controversial social media post. Kidnapping: Ichunga, Anthony Kimani Ichung'wah is a prominent Kenyan politician and has been the Member of Parliament for Kikuyu Constituency since 2013. He has held a variety of offices including Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Public Investment and Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Appropriations, and Natembeya, George Natembeya is the current Governor of Trans Nzoia County. He assumed office in October 2022 after winning the August elections. Previously, he served as the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner, where he built a reputation for effectively addressing security issues. Natembeya holds a Masters degree in Anthropology from the University of Nairobi and is deeply committed to community development and human dignity empowerment. He was recently in the news for defending himself against allegations related to kidnappings during his tenure as regional commissioner, asserting his integrity and holding political leaders to account, blaming each other before Ruto.  The youth whose body was found was the victim of a lynching attack, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said. John Muchiri Muthoni's lifeless body was found and showed clear signs of being attacked before his death. At the time, activist Hussein Khalid revealed that the deceased's girlfriend had received an anonymous call informing her of the whereabouts of Muchiri's body. After his death, the public turned accusatory eyes on the security agencies in the wake of a wave of kidnappings that have rocked the country since early December. I would think so too though. The police commissioner was appointed by President Ruto, so a good friend of his.  The youth, whose body was found along Banana-Kiambu road in Kiambu district, was the victim of a lynching attack, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said. John Muchiri Muthoni's lifeless body was found in Kawaida area on Saturday, January 4, and showed clear signs of being assaulted before his death. Following his death, the public turned accusatory eyes on the security agencies in the wake of a wave of kidnappings that have rocked the country since early December. Billy Mwangi was locked in a dark room, whipped and given portioned meals, MP Mukunji said. Charles Owino, 19, was shot in the head during anti-government protests near Nairobi in July, an autopsy report revealed. However, Kenyan police have registered his death as a road accident, his brother said, referring to the mortuary log book he was shown after visually identifying Owino's body. Reuters has not seen a copy of the log book entry. In another case, police said 21-year-old Shaquille Obienge died in a road accident, his father told Reuters, also citing an entry in the morgue log. It somehow reminds us of times gone by. In Nazi concentration camps, alkes died of pneumonia. It sounds like it. The death of a third protester, 24-year-old Kepher Odiwuor Ouma, was attributed to "fake justice," his family said, citing the morgue log, which had his name on it. However, two eyewitnesses told Reuters that Ouma was picked up by police during a demonstration on July 3 and beaten unconscious. The battered body of the fourth protester, Denzel Omondi, was found in a puddle of water on July 6, nine days after his disappearance. The autopsy found that he had died by drowning. The National Police Service did not respond to questions about the specific cases investigated by Reuters. The question still remains unanswered: who gave the order for this action? It can be assumed that in Kenya, as in all other countries, no one goes around kidnapping young people, killing them, or releasing them after a few days. Everyone can rule that out for themselves. There is a system behind these kidnappings. It works very simply. All of these young people have one thing in common: they are critics of President Ruto. It can be assumed that Ruto gave this order, which was intended to intimidate Gen Z. But, as with former Vice President Gachagua, whom he removed from office and wanted to get rid of in this way, which did not lead to success, because now Gachagua is an enemy of Ruto and that does not do him any good, the same is true of these kidnappings, which took place completely without legal basis. All of this raises a single, overarching question: IS THIS KENYA STILL A DEMOCRACY?  Significantly, there is an interview in a newspaper on the internet where an old man was asked what he thought of President Ruto. The answer is indicative of what is going on in this country right now. He actually said that Ruto is the new Hitler or Idi Amin! And that says it all. @kenyans @the Standard  @Nation @Reuters