President William Ruto has assured the country that all Kenyans reported missing under suspicious circumstances have been safely reunited with their families, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to preventing enforced disappearances.
Speaking on Monday during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is in Kenya for a three-day official visit, President Ruto responded to questions from journalists regarding the recent cases of abductions.
He stated that the government had taken decisive action to address the situation and prevent it from occurring again.
“There is an accountability mechanism to ensure such situations are addressed,” said President Ruto. “I undertook to the country that, as a democracy, Kenya will not go back to the dark days when citizens disappeared and their bodies were found in all manner of places. That will not happen under my administration.”
The President confirmed that all previously reported missing people had been reunited with their families.
“All the people who disappeared or were abducted have been brought back to their homes. I have given clarity that nothing of that nature will happen again,” he emphasized.
He did not, however, reveal who was behind the abductions.
Among the reforms cited by the President to prevent such incidents is the grant of financial and operational autonomy to the National Police Service, which he stated was one of his first actions after taking office.
“The first step I undertook when I became president was to ensure the independence of the police — to give them financial and operational autonomy,” Ruto noted.
His remarks come as the public becomes increasingly concerned about the rise in cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
According to a May report from the human rights organization Missing Voices, at least 55 cases of enforced disappearances were reported in Kenya in 2024.
The report further states that between 2019 and 2024, over 970 Kenyans were victims of enforced disappearances or extrajudicial killings.
