Former Attorney General Justin Muturi Accuses State of Political Abductions, Demands Ruto Halt Covert Police Crackdown
NAIROBI — Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has issued a direct warning to President William Ruto, accusing law enforcement of operating outside the Constitution and calling for an immediate end to covert police arrests targeting government critics.
In a statement released Wednesday, Muturi condemned the recent disappearance of blogger Ndiang’ui Kinyagia, saying the country is “drifting toward authoritarian rule.” The blogger, who had circulated messages encouraging protesters to march to State House on June 25, vanished under unclear circumstances.
“Abducting Kenyans is not law enforcement. It is state terrorism,” Muturi said.
The former National Assembly Speaker and chair of the People’s Restorative Justice Commission blamed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for what he described as night-time raids, forced disappearances, and intimidation carried out by plainclothes officers using unmarked vehicles.
“This is not crime prevention. It is power protection,” Muturi stated. “The DCI is not above the law. It exists under the law. When it crosses that line, it becomes an instrument of oppression.”
The controversy intensified Tuesday when Justice Chacha Mwita ordered DCI to produce Kinyagia “dead or alive” before the court, citing a prior order that had been ignored. The judge confirmed that DCI officers were the last known individuals to visit Kinyagia’s home before he vanished.
Justice Mwita has now summoned DCI Director Mohamed Amin to appear in person on Thursday, July 3, to explain the blogger’s whereabouts.
Muturi said the growing pattern of politically motivated abductions must not be treated as partisan. “This is a national crisis. Today it is a protester. Tomorrow it is a journalist. Then it is you,” he warned.
He urged the public to reject a climate of fear. “We must not allow silence to replace the Constitution. If one person’s rights can be suspended, then none of us are safe,” Muturi said.
Senior Counsel Martha Karua, representing Kinyagia’s legal team, accused the police of ignoring the rule of law. “They are in contempt of court. It is their duty to find him. That is what taxpayers pay them to do,” Karua told Justice Mwita.
The High Court confrontation has intensified scrutiny over the Ruto administration’s handling of dissent, especially in the wake of recent protests over the Finance Bill and public spending.
The court is expected to rule on next steps if the DCI fails to produce Kinyagia by Thursday’s deadline.
