Ruto Puts Billionaire Rai On The Spot After Alleged Abduction [VIDEO]

President William Ruto on Sunday, August 27 fired a stern warning to private millers in his relentless push to revive government companies in a bid to streamline the sugar industry in Kenya.

Speaking during an interdenominational thanksgiving and prayer service at Uwanja Ndege Grounds in Bungoma County, Ruto sharply warned that he would not allow a few people to misuse Kenyans in an economic fashion, adding that he would not hesitate to take action against them.

He put billionaire Jaswant Singh Rai, Kabras Sugar owner, in the spotlight, merely hours after he made headlines on social media after he was allegedly kidnapped by unknown people on Saturday, August 26.

The Rai Group controls more than 40 per cent of the country’s sugar production and market supplies. His family filed a missing persons' report at Kilimani Station on the same day.

“Msikuwe na wasiwasi niko hapo chonjo kabisa. Nitahakikisha hii kitu inakaa chonjo. Na wakora wote wako katikati. Msikuwe na wasiwasi ati kuna mtu atakuja kutuongelesha kingereza. Sijui mhindi fulani. Sijui nani ni nani. Sijui mwingine ananiambia Rai. Rai Nani? Hapana hiyo haiwezekani.”

Loosely translated to: "Do not be worried, I'm on high alert. I'll make sure everything works properly. The crooks are in the middle of it."

"Do not be worried that someone is coming to talk to us in English. I don't know which Indian, I don't know who...someone was telling me about Rai, Rai who? No, that cannot happen," an agitated Ruto cautioned.

The President then questioned how privately owned sugar companies were generating more money than the public competitors even though the government has been pumping money into the latter.

Ruto envisioned public-private partnerships as a solution to reviving sugar companies, adding that his government would deviate from running sugar companies as a whole as such a strategy has in the past failed.

“We want a formula that will bring government and private sector together so that Nzoia company can be sustainable and help locals and the government,” he explained.

"We cannot run business as government. We have tried that before, and it has failed. We pump in millions, and it sinks. How can private mills be functioning profitably when government-owned are riddled with debt? It's a management issue."

He further assured Bungoma residents that the government was doing everything to sort out the sugar problem, affirming that the government had decided to take decisive action to revive the sugar industry.

“I want to promise you this is the government that will sort out this sugar problem in this region because we have made a decision to do it,” he vowed.

Rai's Daylight Abduction

Ruto's remarks came as questions continued to linger on Rai's alleged abduction, which was captured on CCTV. A motorist believed to be Rai was seen being taken out of an SUV in Kilimani, Nairobi after it was blocked by a pickup which drove in a rush past other vehicles to cut off Rai from escaping.

The shocking incident unfolded at a busy traffic light junction, where Rai had stopped momentarily, waiting for the green signal to proceed before the vehicle skipped other cars towards its target, the billionaire, who was ambushed.

The situation escalated quickly as two men dressed in black alighted and accosted him, with a back-and-forth ensuing between the victim and the assailant.

However, Rai was overpowered and dragged into the pickup truck, which drove off, abandoning his SUV in the middle of the highway. 

Activist Boniface Mwangi, a photojournalist by profession, was the first to raise the alarm regarding Rai's kidnapping by sharing the CCTV footage on social media, appealing to Kenyans to help find the billionaire.

"The owner of Kabras Sugar Jaswant Singh Rai was kidnapped while in traffic. A missing person report was filed at Kilimani Police Station," he wrote.

Here is the video:

The owner of Kabras Sugar Jaswant Singh Rai was kidnapped while in traffic. A missing person report was filed at Kilimani Police Station.The video on the right captures his kidnapping. President @WilliamsRuto promised an end to this criminal behaviour. Help find Jaswant. @IG_NPS pic.twitter.com/6PqJ06p1xJ — The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) August 26, 2023

Rai Brothers

Jaswant Singh Rai, Chairman of the Rai Group and Sarbi Singh Rai, who runs the Sarrai Group, which is domiciled in Uganda, are brothers. The latter, however, has interests in Kenya. 

In Kenya, Jaswant Singh's Rai manages West Kenya Sugar/Kabras Millers in Malava, Kakamega, Sukari Industries of Ndhiwa in Homabay, Olepito Sugar at Tangakona in Busia and Naitiri Sugar in Bungoma county. Recently, he was in the spotlight for battling for control of Mumias Sugar with his brother Sarbi Singh Rai.