Amid the tumultuous backdrop of Nairobi’s bustling streets, the air tinged with the acrid scent of tear gas, emotions run high as demonstrators voice their discontent with Kenya’s proposed finance bill for 2024/2025. This scene, captured vividly by REUTERS photographer Monicah Mwangi on June 25, 2024, reveals a city caught in the throes of unrest.
At the center of a swirling political storm, Minister of Public Service Justin Muturi made an extraordinary declaration: his son’s abduction during last year’s anti-government protests was no random act but orchestrated by the very heart of Kenya’s intelligence apparatus. According to Muturi, President William Ruto intervened personally to secure his son’s release.
In an official statement more reminiscent of a thriller, Muturi recounted his harrowing drive to the presidential mansion on June 23, 2024. There, he pleaded with Ruto after his son Leslie was suddenly seized by gun-wielding masked men.
Muturi claims Ruto, with characteristic composure, picked up the phone and demanded the release of Leslie from Noordin Haji, the head honcho at the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The allegation is the first solid indication linking President Ruto to awareness of these mysterious kidnappings targeting anti-government voices.
The authenticity of Muturi’s statement isn’t in doubt; he confirmed its veracity after it began making waves on social media. Yet, silence emanated from Ruto’s camp, and Haji, it seems, has chosen to remain as elusive as a Cheshire cat. The NIS, ever-shrouded in secrecy, offered no contact or spokesperson to verify the claims.
President Ruto’s public persona has been one of concern over human rights accusations tied to state-led abductions. In speeches, the president distanced himself from these occurrences. Yet by late December, he alluded to the specter of “excessive and extrajudicial actions” among security ranks. The melodrama continues to unfold.
Dissonant voices within the political sphere also add layers to this unfolding narrative. Silvanus Osoro Onyiego, a key player from Ruto’s party, cast doubt on Muturi’s claims. Onyiego portrayed Leslie’s alleged kidnapping as the arrest of a young man in a bar, caught with smoking materials. His indignation rang clear, issuing a tripartite ultimatum to Muturi: “Resign, apologize, or face impeachment.”
The Presidential Phone Call
These dramatic events emerge against a backdrop where legions of young Kenyans, animated by frustration, led a series of protests in June and July to challenge planned tax increases and corruption. The movement, known colloquially as the Gen-Z protests, ended in tragedy with over 60 lives lost, according to a state-backed rights organization.
The police ensured Reuters that an inquiry into these complaints would be spearheaded by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to shine a spotlight on any potential misconduct. Yet for families caught in this vortex, bureaucratic assurances fall short of delivering solace.
Muturi, at the time of his son’s ordeal, was not just a figure behind the desk; he was the nation’s attorney general. His harrowing tale continued with a late-night phone call from his daughter-in-law, panic-stricken as she relayed Leslie’s abduction. His initial calls to law officials led nowhere, compounding the anxiety, until a trusted friend whispered the NIS’s involvement.
The next logical stop was the President, who—with an air of casual incongruity—joked about Leslie’s misadventures amidst the Gen-Z riots. Ruto, in his conversation with Haji, reportedly demanded Leslie’s release, with Leslie being promised freedom within an hour. How Muturi overheard this conversation remains a minor mystery within the saga.
Discussions with law enforcement and rights organizations have linked some disappearances to a discreet unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. These insights add a chilling edge to the broader narrative of state power and citizen vulnerability.
In a telling twist, Rigathi Gachagua, the erstwhile Deputy President, also leveled blame at the NIS for the abduction during a June news conference. His subsequent impeachment in October on charges of undermining judicial independence and national unity further fuels the speculative fire around Leslie’s case.
The saga, rife with political machinations and shadowy maneuvers, continues to unravel, leaving Kenyan citizens and observers alike pondering the enigmatic dance between power and accountability.
Report By Axadle
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
