Veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho has narrated the events leading to his abduction inside Karen Police Station.
Abducting veteran media authority Macharia Gaitho has to be one of the worst criminal acts the Ruto government has done in the last few weeks. This was a very stupid move by William Ruto’s abduction police force.
What Kenyans know and have seen is that people are being grabbed in the streets by non uniformed thugs working as part of the Kenya police and a good number of those who have been abducted have been killed and dumped in water filled quarries. Those are grave crimes for which President William Ruto is responsible and will be held accountable for.
In a way Macharia Gaitho is lucky he was not thrown to his death in some quarry filled with water. But what a country Kenya now has now become under President William Ruto. I mean we had dictator Moi and went through that and overcame it in 2002 but this a completely new level of state thuggery.
Veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho has narrated the events leading to his abduction inside Karen Police Station.
Speaking to the press after his release on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Gaitho revealed that he was arrested after seeking refuge inside the station after being trailed by unknown people.
“This morning, shortly after I left home around 8:05 am, I was blocked by a civilian car. As I was waiting for it to move out, some two other men came on my left side where I was sitting (since) my son was driving, opened the door and tried to move me out. They did not identify themselves so I refused to get off the car and instructed my son to drive away,” the journalist explained.
“We drove away and they followed us. I was left with one handcuff on my wrist.”
Gaitho, who was taken away in a civilian car, says he was assaulted after his abduction, with accusations of resisting arrest.
“We decided to come to Karen police station because we recognised that this is an abduction or carjacking or other related criminal activity. We came to Karen Police Station to look for help. We drove into the station then those two cars followed us right inside, and forced me into their car, a white (Toyota) Probox. I was sandwiched between two men in civilian clothes, handcuffed and assaulted. They were demanding to know why I was resisting arrest,” he added.
Police on Gaitho abduction
In a statement earlier, the National Police Service (NPS) claimed that Gaitho had been arrested following a case of mistaken identity, meant for the arrest of Francis Gaitho.
“The National Police Service would like to clarify to the public that this morning, we arrested journalist Macharia Gaitho in a case of mistaken identity, meant for the arrest of Francis Gaitho who is our subject of investigation,” NPS stated.
“We reiterate that as a Service, we do not target journalists in any way, and today’s incident is highly regrettable. The National Police Service remains committed to working with the media while discharging our mandate of promoting accountability and transparency.”
Police did not however reveal why Francis Gaitho is being sought.
Macharia has also disputed the claims that he was mistaken for Francis Gaitho since the do not live in the same area or drive similar cars.
“I don’t believe I was mistaken for Francis Gaitho, as I am twice his age. Also, he doesn’t live where I live and doesn’t drive a car like mine. It is me they were trailing and looking for,” he added.
This was just one day after another journalist, Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, a correspondent for Kameme TV journalist was shot three times by the police officers in Nakuru.
This was just one day after another journalist, Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, a correspondent for Kameme TV journalist was shot three times by the police officers in Nakuru.
Macharia Gaitho has been in journalism before many of the Kenyan protestors President William Ruto is killing in the streets of our country were born. When we were fighting Moi in the 1980’s and many Kenyan patriots getting killed, jailed or detained by that dictator Macharia Gaitho was there in the media and very positive and neutral.
The one thing Kenyans always love about Macharia Gaitho is that despite his relative fame as a journalist he is such a simple and straight forwards person. Kenyans respect those kind of people.
Now we have one of the Moi boys instituting their own dictatorship and illegality in the government of Kenya, Macharia Gaitho is still around. That is a legacy William Ruto will never destroy as he dwindles out of power amid a rebellion from young Kenyans. Now the Kenya Police are saying oh we abducted the wrong guy.
Abduction is illegal, you idiots. Which part of that don’t you understand? You simply cannot abduct people unless you are a criminal government and that is what this regime is for Kenyans right now.
In the meantime ODM is ready to talk to President William Ruto and the country and ODM needs to set the agenda very clear to everybody including the president.
ODM endorses dialogue with tough conditions
In a statement on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the ODM party noted that it is open to a national conversation that would uphold the tenets of the constitution and bring on board all Kenyans.
ODM’s decision to support dialogue came after the party held a Parliamentary Group and the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
“The meeting endorsed the call by the Central Committee of the Party during its meeting of Friday 12th July 2024 for a National Convention/Conversation that would bring together all the people of Kenya. This meeting reiterated the need for this convention to be all-inclusive, people Constitutionalized centred,” the ODM party’s statement read in part.
Conditions for dialogue
Before engaging the Kenya Kwanza administration led by President William Ruto, the ODM party listed their irreducible minimums.
ODM party demanded the compensation of all victims of police brutality during protests beginning last year.
The Opposition Party further called for the arrest and prosecution of police officers implicated in brutality meted out on protesters throughout that period.
ODM which is led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga further called for a national amnesty for all those arrested and abducted during the protests.
Before agreeing to engage with the government, ODM also demanded the interdiction of Nairobi Area Police Boss Adamson Bungei.
Priority areas during dialogue
During the dialogue, ODM noted that its leaders would prioritise addressing corruption which is among the key issues highlighted during the nationwide protests.
The issue of unemployment will also feature among the top agendas which ODM would want the government to address in the dialogue.
“That in the National Conversation, the party leadership was expressly mandated to prioritize policy proposals on long-standing matters as identified by the Central Committee, including but not limited to corruption, negative ethnicity, unemployment and social justice.
” A detailed Policy position shall be shared once the preconditions above are met and the Convention convened,” part of ODM’s statement signed by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, read.
“That each and every issue should be on the table in order for us to find lasting solutions to the issues bedevilling our Nation as the people of Kenya.”
What the country needs is a Public Inquiry where all the victims and their families will come forward and tell Kenyans what has happened to them and what they want in terms of their personal situation and their political demands.
Then the country moves from the Pubic Inquiry to accomplish things in terms of compensation, how to address corruption in government starting with the auditing of the fired CSs, the counties and NG -CDF and all the way to voter registration to bring Kenyan youth into the political map of the country.
That is the agenda the Gen Z has put on the table for the whole country and that is what any dialogue with President Ruto should be about.
ODM has to accept that we cannot have compensation of victims unless a full public inquiry is carried out so the victims of police violence can speak to Kenyans directly and the right number of victims is determined. Otherwise President Ruto can just pick a few names randomly and pay something little then claim he has done the compensation.
This has to be structured and be part and parcel of a whole package that includes all the political and economic demands of the Gen Z movement. ODM has to force William Ruto to put the issue of Public Inquiry and compensation for the victims of state terror starting right now and ending in a few months in the agenda of their dialogue. Otherwise no talks takes place.
President William Ruto already scared about his killing of Kenyan protestors is trying to establish an office of Coroner General to investigate the murders. That is a perfect way for Ruto to cook up stuff to cover his killing of Kenyans.
We need a Public Inquiry to address the killings because such an Inquiry will not be controlled by William Ruto the way he wants to have that fake Coroner office. ODM has to reject that Ruto proposal completely.
The other Azimio parties who do not want dialogue to deal with the Gen Z rebellion and demands can do whatever they want to do to help the country move forward and if that means doing nothing then fair enough let them do nothing but the country must move ahead with the agenda Gen Z has put on the table and that requires structured dialogue right now with a public agenda that Kenyans are comfortable with.
Already we are hearing calls about which of the fired CSs should be re-appointed to cabinet. That is nonsense. The real issue is to have all the fired CSs audited to find out how much public money they stole while in office and then get rid of all the shady contracts they made in those ministries for personal benefits. Start with Kipchumba Murkomen.
And the new William Ruto Prime Minister for Kenya Mudavadi is asking Kenya youth to calm down because they are going to send them outside the country to get jobs. How insane is that? These Kenyan youth love their country and the only promise you have for them is to throw them out of country to be house maids in Saudi Arabia?
Gov’t To Align Youth Empowerment Initiatives With Job Market Demands, Says Mudavadi
Thursday, July 18, 2024 – Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has addressed the volatile situation in Kenya caused by the Gen Z revolution.
Mudavadi emphasized the need of peace and stability as an anchor as the country moves forward saying there must be a clear indication that peace and stability are critical credential for the prosperity of the nation.
“We are working on various agreements within the European Union framework and extending also to the Gulf Countries. We want to anchor the engagements on proper legal framework that will support our young people as they take up the opportunities in the foreign labour market.” he noted.
This is the clueless government now reduced to a William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi regime. Just pathetic.
And the new thug in town is banning demonstrations against his boss. When will he ban abductions? No because that is the job William Ruto has given him.
The National Police Service (NPS) has banned demonstrations planned for Thursday by Kenyan youths (Gen Z’s).
Here is what President Ruto’s proposed Coroner General will do.
Cover-Ups At City Mortuary? Fake Records Surface Amid Outrage Over Police Killings
Could authorities be deliberately falsifying documentation of bodies recovered from protest scenes?
Details are emerging of bodies of victims killed in protests but recorded at the City Mortuary in Nairobi as having died from totally different circumstances and even locations.
Citizen TV has established that a young man who died in the protests in Kitengela ended up recorded as having died from an accident in Juja. This was not the only case of wrong details entered in the morgue registry.
Charles Owino, last seen in Kitengela according to his family and believed to have suffered a gunshot to the head with a visible entry point on his body, was recorded as having died from an accident.
Owino’s body was picked up in Kitengela during the Tuesday protests. A day later, when his family arrived at the city mortuary, they were met with records confirming that their son had arrived at the mortuary as an unidentified/unknown person from Juja.
Despite confirmation of Owino’s identity, the family has dozens of unanswered questions. Authorities have informed them that they must submit a police OB report for the government to conduct a post-mortem exam to determine the cause of death.
Citizen TV has also discovered that two additional bodies, also victims of the protests, were inaccurately recorded. One was attributed to mob justice, while the other was labelled as a result of an accident in Juja.
These inaccuracies in the registry entries for three bodies suggest the possibility of deliberate actions.
Kenyans and ODM in their talks with Ruto have to reject this right away. It is an escape route for President Ruto killing Kenyan youth in the streets of our country. No that will not be tolerated by Kenyans. Thank you Mr. President. Now you have to go.
And by the way, the Ruto government has a big plan to deal with protestors being abducted and dumped in quarries and the plan looks great.
Gov’t In Plan To Rehabilitate Abandoned Quarries Amid Trend Of Bodies Being Dumped In Pits
Following the worrying trend and increased cases of bodies being dumped in abandoned quarries, Mining PS Elijah Mwangi has said plans are underway to rehabilitate strip pits across the country through backfilling and fencing.
