List Of Missing Kenyans Emerges As Ruto Called Out For Lying
On Monday, May 12, the Head of State stirred mixed reactions when he claimed that Kenyans who were abducted during the Gen Z protests had been reunited with their families.
Marvin Chege 
President William Ruto's recent claims that all victims of forced disappearances and abductions have been reunited with their families have sparked backlash, now roping in a lobby group.
On Monday, May 12, the Head of State stirred mixed reactions when he claimed that Kenyans who were abducted during the Gen Z protests had been reunited with their families.
He made the statement while addressing questions from journalists at a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Though he didn’t name those responsible for the abductions, Ruto said steps were being taken to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future.
All the people who were abducted have been returned to their families and homes. I have given clear and firm instructions that nothing of that nature will happen again- President Ruto#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/dGpy3q7VB9 — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) May 12, 2025
"All the people who disappeared or were abducted in what you said (Gen Z protests) have been brought back to their families and their homes," he announced.
"I have given firm instructions that nothing of that kind of nature will ever happen again. It was my commitment as I became President that the extrajudicial disappearance of Kenyans would not be part of what we are doing as a nation."
However, Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid, in a statement on Tuesday, May 13, insisted that despite the President’s assurances, several people are still missing and have yet to be accounted for.
"Vocal Africa takes note of President William Ruto’s statement in which he asserted that all the people who disappeared or who were abducted...all of them have been brought back to their families," Khalid stated.
"We find this statement not only inaccurate but also deeply dismissive of the realities of Kenyan families still searching for their loved ones, months after they vanished in the context of the Gen Z-led protests that erupted in June 2024."
Vocal Africa says it has been actively supporting victims and their families since the Gen Z-led protests began in 2024.
The organisation stated it has recorded multiple cases of enforced disappearances and abductions through firsthand accounts, on-the-ground investigations, and community sources—evidence that challenges President Ruto’s assertion that all missing individuals have been safely reunited with their families.
"We have documented numerous cases through direct testimonies, field investigations, and partnerships with community networks," it added.
"Many families continue to live in fear, pain, and uncertainty, compounded by official denial and a lack of accountability. Contrary to the President's claim, several individuals remain unaccounted for."
"As Vocal Africa, we are ready to present these families to meet with President Ruto at a place and time of his choosing so that he may hear firsthand from those whose loved ones are still missing. Healing and justice begin with acknowledgement, not denial," the group added.
Billy Mwangi reunited with his family on January 6, 2025
