A lobby group disputed President William Ruto’s recent claims that all victims of forced disappearances and abductions have been reunited with their families, calling the remarks misleading and insensitive.
Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid insisted that several individuals remain missing and unaccounted for, contrary to the President’s assurances. during a media briefing at State House in Nairobi on Monday.
"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 said in a statement.
He added: 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."
According to Vocal Africa, the organisation has been at the forefront supporting victims and their families since the onset of the Gen Z-led protests in 2024.
The lobby maintained that it has documented numerous cases of enforced disappearances and abductions through direct testimonies, field investigations, and community networks—evidence that contradicts President Ruto’s claim that all affected families have been reunited with their loved ones.
''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.''
Vocal Africa cited several unresolved cases to challenge President Ruto’s claim that all victims of enforced disappearances had been reunited with their families. Among them are Emmanuel Mukuria, who disappeared on June 25, 2024, in Githurai, and Dennis Chege and Peter Macharia, who were last seen on the same day in Nairobi’s central business district.
The lobby also flagged two other cases from December 17, 2024: Martin Mbisi, who was reportedly abducted in Mlolongo, and Kalani Muema, who also went missing in the same area on the same day. These cases, according to the organisation, reflected ongoing concerns about missing persons linked to the Gen Z-led protests.
According to the lobby, the names are not isolated cases but represent a fraction of a broader pattern of repression and impunity that has yet to be addressed by the State.
Further, the group revealed that it was ready to meet Ruto together with the victims' families for him to get a firsthand narration from them.
''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,'' it added.
