NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has dismissed claims of ongoing enforced disappearances in the country, insisting that all individuals previously reported missing have been located and reunited with their families.
Speaking during a joint press briefing with visiting Finnish President Alexander Stubb at State House Nairobi, Ruto said his administration had taken a firm stand against extra-judicial killings and abductions — vices that have plagued Kenya’s past.
“All the people who disappeared or were abducted have been brought back to their families and their homes,” Ruto said. “I have given clarity and firm instructions that nothing of that kind will happen again.”
The president’s comments came in response to a journalist’s question referencing recent reports by human rights watchdogs, including Missing Voices, which documented 55 cases of enforced disappearances in 2024 alone.
The report highlights a worrying trend during the height of last year’s youth-led protests against the Finance Bill, particularly in June, which saw 15 reported cases.
October followed with 11 incidents, while July and August each recorded seven.
Despite the president’s reassurances, rights groups maintain that the situation remains dire.
The Missing Voices report details how most of the disappearances were executed by plain-clothed, hooded individuals operating in unmarked vehicles — a tactic that makes it nearly impossible to identify or prosecute those responsible.
Ruto, however, insisted that his administration would not tolerate any return to the dark era of state-sponsored violence.
“I undertook to the country that, being a democracy, Kenya must not, as has happened in the past, be a place where bodies are found in all manner of places. That will not happen anymore,” he said.
Kenya has long grappled with allegations of police brutality, forced disappearances, and extra-judicial killings — particularly targeting youth and activists.
While Ruto’s administration promised reforms upon taking office in 2022, critics say accountability remains elusive.
Human rights organizations have consistently called for independent investigations and systemic police reform, warning that without transparency, enforced disappearances will continue under the radar.
