Gatanga Member of Parliament Edward Muriu has voiced his deep frustrations with President William Ruto’s administration, citing a troubling wave of abductions targeting government critics.
Speaking on a local TV station on Monday morning, February 2, 2025, Muriu expressed regret over his role in bringing Kenya Kwanza to power, lamenting the growing intolerance under Ruto’s leadership.
“I am not surprised by the intolerance which has come in this government. Sometimes I feel ashamed that I shed my sweat and blood to make sure that Kenya Kwanza came to power. I am part of the team which crafted the manifesto. And one of the things which we said clearly is that we will never ever go back to criminalizing politics. But sadly, things have turned the other way round,” Muriu stated.
Muriu is not alone in his disillusionment. Several key figures who supported Kenya Kwanza ahead of the August 9, 2022, General Election have publicly criticized Ruto’s administration.
Rising political dissent
Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Justin Muturi has twice challenged President Ruto to address the growing number of abductions.
While speaking to journalists at the Nairobi Funeral Home on Friday, January 31, 2025, where the bodies of the missing Mlolongo Four were taken after being recovered, Muturi decried the rising disappearances of young Kenyans, some of whom later turned up dead.
“The buck stops with you, Mr. President. You are the commander-in-chief of the defence forces; therefore, I am calling upon you to take immediate action to end these abductions, as promised,” Muturi stated.
“There must also be an open inquiry into these killings to uncover how these atrocities have been happening. We cannot allow this to become normal,” he added.
Muturi, whose own son was previously abducted and later released, emphasized the need for a commission of inquiry to determine the root cause of the disappearances.
He called for swift government action to halt the alarming trend.
“I am calling upon the President to order an immediate end to these abductions and killings. You promised Kenyans that this would never happen. We must establish an open inquiry to examine how these things have been happening. We cannot normalize this,” Muturi reiterated.
National leaders demand action
His concerns were echoed by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, who demanded that the country’s security agencies identify and prosecute those behind the abductions.
“The office of the DCI, the Office of the DPP, and internal security organs must thoroughly investigate and determine who is kidnapping people and later leaving them dead,” Wetang’ula urged.
“The police say they are not responsible. We need them to investigate and tell Kenyans who these criminal elements are that are unlawfully arresting individuals, causing their disappearances, and eventually leaving them dead,” he added.
With mounting pressure from high-ranking government officials, the Kenya Kwanza administration faces growing scrutiny over its commitment to upholding human rights and democratic freedoms.
The coming weeks will prove critical in determining whether President Ruto will heed the calls for justice or allow political unrest to escalate further.
