Ruto slammed for 'false promise' on extra-judicial killings

By Peter Ochieng

President William Ruto has been faulted for allegedly failing to implement his promise on ending extra judicial killings and forced dissapearence.

During campaigns ahead of the August 9th polls, Ruto and a host of politicians in Kenya Kwanza promised to stop what they termed as misuse of police in the criminal justice system, accusing the previous administration of police brutality and extra judicial killings.

A year after Ruto assumed office, Khalid Hussein, Haki Africa Executive Director says nothing has changed under the Kenya Kwanza regime.

If anything, Hussein, during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday morning said things are getting worse.

"We have seen a 180 degree turn from the promises that were made, not only by the president alone, but by the Kenya Kwanza regime," he stated.

"We are very disturbed by what we are witnessing. This is the same regime that promised us of constitutionalism and the rule of law. We have seen them renaging on that promise. We have seen an about turn on what they promised."

"They promised us an end to extra judicial killings and forced dissapearence. As human rights organisations, we are now recording alarmingly high numbers of killings," he added.

In June 2022, at the heart of presidential campaigns, Ruto vowed to end extra judicial killings if elected Kenya's 5th president.

"The careless killing of Kenyans and mysterious disappearance of people, extra-judicial killings must come to a stop because it is illegal, it is unconstitutional."

"The Kenya Kwanza Alliance commits to completing the full implementation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 16, on peace, justice and strong institutions,” Ruto, then deputy president added.

On 13th September, 2023, a group of human rights organisations among them Haki Africa in a report said the country was witnessing one of the most challenging presidents in history, because of various issues including cases of police brutality.