Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has reprimanded former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for his comments on recent abductions, accusing him of trivializing a grave issue affecting the nation.
Kioni called on Gachagua to either provide actionable information about those behind the abductions or refrain from making unsubstantiated claims.
“His statements about revealing those involved, without following through with actionable disclosures, are both irresponsible and a slap in the face to the families suffering from these tragedies,” Kioni said in a statement shared on X.
He added: “This is not a game, nor a platform for empty rhetoric. The nation deserves decisive leadership, not theatrics. Lives are at stake, and this matter demands the utmost seriousness. Playing politics with such a sensitive issue is unacceptable and a betrayal of public trust.”
Gachagua recently revisited the issue of abductions, urging President William Ruto to fulfill his promise to release youths allegedly taken by a police unit.
“I am repeating again that the abduction is coordinated by a unit outside the police,” he claimed, warning Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja to exercise caution and avoid being misled.
The former DP emphasized the trauma many families have experienced due to the disappearance of their loved ones, calling for urgent action to address the issue.
The East Africa Law Society (EALS) also expressed alarm over the growing cases of abductions and enforced disappearances across the region, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
EALS President Ramadhan Abubakar called for the immediate release of those abducted and urged security agencies to ensure lawful arrests when individuals are suspected of breaking the law.
“The situation of abductions and enforced disappearances within the East African Community has reached a critical point,” Abubakar said.
He further highlighted that human rights violations are also prevalent in Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia, the EAC’s newest member.
