Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has suffered a setback after the speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi turned down a request by his allies for a special sitting to discuss and conduct inquiries into the abductions and other pressing matters plaguing the country.
On Tuesday, several legislators allied to Mr Gachagua, led by Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa, his Nyandarua counterpart John Methu and Githunguri MP Gathoni wa Muchomba, challenged President William Ruto to form a commission of inquiry to investigate abductions, the politicisation of police, the resurgence of criminal gangs, land grabbing, and alleged State capture.
The leaders also called for parliamentary action involving the National Assembly, the Senate, and all county assemblies across the nation to convene special sessions during recess to discuss the issues.
This followed an earlier petition by Mr Methu to Mr Kingi in a letter dated December 27, 2024, seeking a special sitting of the House to deliberate on the “end of forced abductions and disappearances of young government critics.”
“This matter has raised deep national concern as it infringes on the fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in our constitution, including the freedom of expression, association, and the right to life and security,” Mr Methu’s letter states in part.
He said that “admissions of the Kenya Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations that they are not responsible for these abductions have raised growing concerns of the existence of an organised criminal syndicate operating outside the command of the Inspector-General.”
But on Tuesday, Mr Kingi, in his response, declined Mr Methu’s request for a special sitting of the Senate, saying it “does not meet the requirements set out in standing order 33(1) of the Senate Standing Orders.”
“A request for a special sitting should originate from the Senate majority leader or the Senate minority leader; and is to be supported by at least 15 Senators,” Mr Kingi said in his letter to Mr Methu dated January 7.
At a news conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, Mr Gachagua’s allies called for a thorough investigation and appropriate action to address the ills in the country, citing that the police “have demonstrated lack of impartiality despite being an independent institution.”
“We have repeatedly raised alarms over a series of abductions that have predominantly affected young individuals. These heinous acts have resulted in numerous victims suffering from death, physical harm, psychological trauma, or enforced silence.
“Despite these alarming reports and the public outcry, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has distanced himself from accountability, claiming ignorance regarding the perpetrators of these abductions,” Mr Thang’wa said.
“The President, in his usual ambiguous manner, has made public promises to stop the abductions, while simultaneously admonishing parents to instill discipline in their children, insinuating that lack of discipline contributes to these abductions. In a concerning development, five young men who had been reported missing under mysterious circumstances were released at various locations across the country yesterday (Monday) in what appears to be a well-coordinated effort,” he added.
They were referring to the release of Billy Mwangi, Ronny Kiplangat, Peter Muteti, and Bernard Kavuli who had been abducted in December.
Ms Wa Muchomba said their simultaneous release from different counties suggests a deliberate strategy rather than random occurrences.
“These incidents are not isolated; they reflect a disturbing trend of escalating state-sponsored abductions, violence, and human rights abuses,” she said.
“We call for a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding these abductions, as well as appropriate action against all individuals involved, we do so with a lot of hesitation since the Police have denied responsibility.”
Kajiado Senator Samuel Seki accused police of demonstrating a lack of impartiality being conflicted and remaining beholden to the executive despite them being an independent institution under our constitution.
“We urge President Ruto and the Executive to ensure the immediate release of the remaining abductees. It is particularly troubling that the police have yet to apprehend anyone in connection with the abduction of the Kitengela Three, whose 32 days of torture remain uninvestigated and for which no perpetrators have been held accountable.”
The leaders noted that the recent spate of abductions represents a systematic attempt to silence dissent and instill fear among Kenyans.
They said the independent commission of inquiry should examine the politicisation within police forces and other independent institutions including investigating instances where security forces have been used for political gains or to intimidate and persecute dissenting voices.
“It should investigate organised criminal attacks against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his supporters, including the chaotic events at the Limuru funeral in Kiambu County on November 28, 2024, as well as the teargas incident at Shamata in Nyandarua County on December 28, 2024.”
The investigation, they added, should be able to assess the resurgence of state-sponsored criminal gangs including Mungiki “that are terrorizing citizens and dissenters.”
“These gangs have been creating an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness among ordinary Kenyans and critics of the government,” added the leaders.
The leaders spoke barely a week after Mr Gachagua sought the intervention of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to keep an eye on Kenya following the alleged reemergence of suspected organised criminal gangs.
The former DP instructed his allies to assemble seasoned lawyers to write to the ICC to avoid any loss of lives.
On Tuesday, his allies lauded ICC for taking an immediate step on the concerns.
“We also appreciate the ICC's quick response in opening the portal for reporting human rights abuse by the state actors and setting the early stage of collating the data ready for any eventuality.”
