Former presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame has rallied Kenyans behind what he has described as a grand halt of the nation over the surge in abductions witnessed in the country.
In a statement shared via his official X account, Kigame called on citizens to turn out in numbers alongside their possessions to protest the abductions and demand the release of victims from Sunday, January 5, 2024.
“If the Kenya government does not release every abducted citizen, then beginning Sunday midnight, bring out your cows, goats, chickens, tractors, vehicles, motorbikes, pots, soil, anything, and use everything including ICT, mainstream and social media to bring this country to a grand halt,” he said.
Mounting pressure
Kigame’s remarks come amid mounting calls for the release of young Kenyans abducted for criticising President William Ruto’s governance.
Several leaders from across the political divide and human rights groups have come out to condemn the incidents and urged the state to intervene and release the victims to their disheartened families.
Despite the persistent calls for the release of the victims, the president has maintained that those inciting others against his regime will be dealt with.
Speaking during the burial of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Ann Nanyama, at Mukhweya Village in Bungoma County on Friday, January 3, 2024, Ruto regretted that some politicians and a section of the youth have been misusing the prevailing democracy to incite and abuse leaders.
He warned that failure to deal with the waywardness will lead to a ‘chaotic democracy’.
“We must ensure our democracy doesn’t become chaotic, abusive and a democracy that undermines the rule of law. I will say that my administration will keep to the law and everybody must respect the law,” Ruto said.
“We have made it clear that any criminality must be investigated whether undertaken by citizens or criminals or even the police. It must be investigated, and we must get to the bottom of any criminal activity.”
Adding;
“We can’t go back to the days when Kenyans were being found in Yala river dead almost thirty-something. Others were found in Tana River and even National Park and that won’t happen in my administration. It’s good that Kenya is a democratic society but let’s not abuse it.”
