Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has promised that he will make sure President William Ruto is charged at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
In a statement on X on Sunday, February 2, 2025, Kalonzo claimed that Ruto has presided over a regime that sanctions State-sponsored killings and abductions of young Kenyans.
“Tumekuja watu wa Kimana Ili mapema tuelewane kupeleka Kasongo nyumbani. Zakayo’s anti-people policies have been a disaster. Ruto has presided over a regime that sanctions State-sponsored killings and abductions of young Kenyans who exercise their constitutional rights. We will take him to The Hague/ICC to answer for his crimes against humanity. Wakenya wameainganika wamesema Ruto aende nyumbani,” Kalonzo stated.
Ruto’s ICC case dismissed
In 2016, the ICC court dismissed a case against Ruto, ruling that there was insufficient evidence, but it refused to acquit him.
In a split ruling, one judge declared it a mistrial because of a “troubling incidence of witness interference and intolerable political meddling”.
Ruto denied murder, deportation and persecution charges during violence that followed the 2007 elections in which about 1,200 people were killed.
Abductions and killings
In recent months, since the anti-government protests in June and July 2024, there have been several abductions and killings in the country, with most of them affecting government critics.
Among the latest victims are Justus Mutumwa and Martin Mwau, two of the abductees, whose bodies were discovered at the City Mortuary in Nairobi.
The two are among the Mlolongo Four abductees who went missing in December 2024.
One of Ruro’s Cabinet Secretaries, Justin Muturi, has come out to blame the government for abductions after his son was abducted in 2024.
In more than one occasion, the cabinet secretary instead urged President William Ruto and government officials to prioritize addressing the abduction cases
Speaking to the press on Sunday, January 12, 2024, Muturi addressed the issue of abductions and forced disappearances, describing his son’s ordeal as deeply traumatic for his family.
“My son was abducted and disappeared. I was not sure whether he was alive or dead making us anxious and leaving me and my wife and the rest of the family in turmoil. At that time I was the attorney general of Kenya and a member of the National Security Council. Despite making several requests, I was unable to trace my son,” Muturi stated.
“Now, more than six months after the ordeal and his release by unknown forces, he has not been charged with any offence. The government, at all levels, has not been able to give me reasons for his abduction,” Muturi lamented.
Muturi criticized the security sector for failing to prevent abductions, even as officials claimed no involvement.
“The security sector has said that they are not involved in the abductions but interestingly, they have failed to stop them as they are happening in full public glare. The president has equally said he would like to see the abductions end. Kenyans would like to know; how many of our youths have been taken in since the abductions started. How many have been released, how many are still being held and where they are being held,” he added.
The abduction of Muturi’s son Leslie occurred on June 22, 2024, at the height of the Gen Z demonstrations across the country.
The CS’s son was released the following day June 23, 2024, hours after his arrest.
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