Mark Nyamita: Ousting Ruto won’t end the killings
By Steve Ireri, July 24, 2025Uriri Member of Parliament Mark Nyamita has called on Kenyans to embrace sober national dialogue, insisting that the ongoing killings and abductions in the country cannot be solved merely by removing President William Ruto from office.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, July 24, 2025, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) lawmaker noted that while he is a member of the party, his views do not represent the official party position, which he clarified can only be communicated by the ODM spokesperson or party leader.
He instead offered his reflections on the state of the nation, particularly in light of recent protests and rising public anger.
“I am just a member of ODM. I want to condemn the abductions and killings because no matter who dies, we must all stand against such acts. But we need to sit as a country and think about how to stop this. It is not about removing President Ruto because the killings did not start with him,” he said.
Nyamita acknowledged that ODM’s official stance is guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it entered into with the Kenya Kwanza administration, which supports the idea of a broad-based government.
However, he emphasised that discussions about governance and reform should not be centred solely on individuals such as Ruto.
“First, I do not speak for the party — I am just a member of ODM. The party’s position on various matters should be given by the party spokesperson or the party leader. I will therefore speak as an individual and a member of the party. There is the party’s position, which is the MoU and the call for a broad-based government. That is not Sifuna’s position alone; it is the party’s. I agree that for a government to function and for lives to be sustained, we must prioritise peace and security.”
The MP noted that even during former President Mwai Kibaki’s tenure, Kenya witnessed mass atrocities, including the 2007–2008 post-election violence in which over 1,000 people lost their lives.
He referenced the International Criminal Court (ICC) charges that followed, including those involving President Ruto, to illustrate that the problem of state-linked violence is historical and systemic.
“We have not arrived in Kenya today to say that killings have just begun. They must stop, yes, but we must also remember that when Kibaki was in power, many people were killed. Even Ruto was taken to the ICC for that. Those who died then are not any less human than those dying today,” Nyamita added.
He also stated that President Ruto’s administration has provided the police with a degree of independence never seen before, with a larger operational budget and increased autonomy.
However, he insisted that such independence must not be used to shield rogue actions and that the nation still holds the power to call the police to order.
“These atrocities must stop, but we must also acknowledge that this is not new to our country. The only way forward is for us, as a nation, to come together and have honest conversations about how to end this cycle of violence. It is President Ruto’s government that has given the police the most independence in our history — not just in terms of autonomy but also through increased budgetary allocation. That independence means they now have the power to make decisions. But even with that independence, we still have the authority as a country to call them to order when they go astray.”