DP Kindiki, Murkomen, Oscar Sudi Demanded To Resign Over Abductions

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has issued a statement demanding that Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, and a series of Members of Parliament (MP) resign from their positions.

In a press release dated Monday, January 6, the lobby group accused the above-mentioned leaders of endorsing the recent abductions in the country. Also compelled to resign are National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, Tiaty MP William Kamket, his Kapsaret counterpart Oscar Sudi, and Sirisia MP John Waluke Sirisia as well as Inspector-General of Police, Douglas Kanja.

"KHRC demands the immediate resignation of Ichung’wa, Kingi, Kamket, Sudi, Murkomen, Waluke, and Kindiki from their state offices over their utterances supporting abductions. We also demand the resignation of the inspector-general of police, Douglas Kanja, as abductions occurred under his watch," the commission stated in part.

Additionally, the lobby group called for an impartial and thorough investigation into their statements and potential involvement in the abductions and extrajudicial killings of state critics, adding that "Those found culpable must face prosecution and be permanently barred from holding state or public office."

KHRC took issue with President William Ruto and his allies making statements justifying the abductions of government critics in operations that may have resulted in extrajudicial killings. The group added that the abductions escalated in 2024, a year that saw parliament breached on June 25 by youth protesting oppressive laws, when the pressure for increased accountability surged.

The no-holds-barred statement revealed that the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the KHRC, and other partners operated a joint situation room to monitor police abuses during the same period, marked by a wave of Gen-Z protests. KNCHR reported that 82 youths have been abducted since June, with 29 still missing.

"Conflicting and sycophantic comments and statements by state officers, including implicit endorsement of abductions as a legitimate response to alleged violation of the law, point to the reasonable likelihood that the rampant abductions are state-sponsored," added the civil society group.

"State security agents have publicly denied involvement, while Ruto has acknowledged their participation, saying his administration will “stop the abductions.” In his New Year’s message, Ruto conceded: “It cannot be denied that there have been instances of excessive and extrajudicial actions by members of the security services.”

Breaking down what they said individually, the group accused Ichung'wah of supporting false claims by Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli, that abductees were faking their abductions for financial gain.

"In what appeared to be an attempt to divert attention, Ichung’wa made startling claims about abductions and killings during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure, accusing a governor of orchestrating a scheme that led to dozens of missing persons’ bodies dumped in River Yala," added KHRC. Both spoke in Bungoma on January 3, 2025, during the requiem mass of the mother of National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula.

For Kingi, he was faulted for stating that the government would resort to brutal tactics to firmly deal with youthful critics, blaming their behaviour on a “lack of parental guidance.” He warned parents not to wail over their children when the government “takes action.” The Senate Speaker made those remarks at the same event.

Kamket was deemed to have dismissed those calling for Ruto’s resignation through online satire as “lazy bones in bed” and warned that his side could extend Ruto’s term without facing any consequences. He made these remarks during the Kerio Valley interdenominational prayers at Tot, Elgeyo Marakwet, on January 5.

At the same event, Sudi was accused of openly supporting the abduction of those sharing AI-generated satirical images against Ruto. "He said that, if he were the Interior CS, it would only take him three days to deal with those creating and sharing Ruto’s silhouette images through authoritarian actions," the statement added.

KHRC mentioned that the threats followed a denial from Murkomen, the Interior CS, that no abductions and extrajudicial killings were happening under Ruto’s watch. Murkomen’s statement in Bungoma on December 27, 2024, was viewed to have trivialized the executions of young people who exercised their right to freedom of expression in agitation against a regime that was miserably failing them.