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Police arrest is not abduction, Ruto says as incidents increase

A screen grab shows former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter being taken by police officers outside Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Nairobi on June 30, 2024.

By Lucy Mumbi | Sunday, June 30, 2024

Records show that at least 39 people were taken from various locations by people believed to be police officers, held for hours for unknown reasons, and released without formal charges or court appearances.

Police arrests cannot be classified as kidnappings, President William Ruto said on Sunday night in an interview in which he was asked about at least 39 suspicious cases witnessed during the anti-tåx protests.

Records show that at least 39 people were taken from various locations by people believed to be police officers, held for hours for unknown reasons, and released without formal charges or court appearances.

The latest case on Sunday was of former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, a vocal government critic, who said he would be intimidated in a press briefing following his release later in the day.

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Ruto spoke on live television on Sunday night, in a roundtable interview he requested, which was broadcast from the State House in Nairobi with Linus Kaikai (Citizen TV), Joe Ageyo (NTV), and Eric Latiff (KTN).

He said what the public thought were abductions were likely arrests that were preceded by summonses that the parties likely ignored.

"If the police summon you and you refuse to go, are the police not entitled to come and look for you? When the police come to arrest you after they summon you and you don't show up, is that an abduction?"

A video circulating on social media showed Keter forcibly being removed from his vehicle by three men and pushed into another car, registration KBE 256H.

He tried to resist but was overpowered, in the incident outside Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, and his children were heard screaming in the background.

Kaikai asked Ruto, "With the wife and children screaming that way, how do you feel?"

Ruto answered, "Every child ... every mother feels that way when their parents are under attack, but what about the children of parents who have lost their lives because of the desecration of an asset? We need to operate under the rule of law. Impunity cuts both ways."

He reaffirmed that he would not interfere with security agencies, in line with a commitment he made when he assumed office—to ensure the National Police Service works independently.