Raila should announce his position over recent abductions: Senator Onyonka

Raila should announce his position over recent abductions: Senator Onyonka

Senator Onyonka speaking in an interview with Citizen TV on April 9, 2024

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has called on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to announce his position over the recent spate of abductions mainly targeting the youths involved in the anti-government protests. 

Speaking on Daybreak show, the senator expressed worry over the rise in abduction cases and called for those in President William Ruto's close circle to engage him over the matter. 

He noted that religious institutions such as the church should also seek audience with the president over the pertinent issue. 

Raila has remained mum over the issue with critics attributing it to the formation of the broad-based government with the Head of State whereby four ODM members joined Ruto's cabinet.

"It is the responsibility of my party leader Raila Odinga to pronounce himself over this matter. I don't think it is a matter that should be swept under the rug," he said. 

"I believe the church should look for soft diplomacy so that they can access President Ruto and tell him many of these things should stop."

The senator pointed out that governments that target those opposed to their narratives will ultimately collapse, emphasising that power is transient.

"The narrative that is out here that certain individuals must be eliminated because they're critics of the government is because of weak leadership. Strong and philosophical leaders don't kill their leaders, they either persuade them, engage them or discuss with them because that's what governance is about. Power is transitory," he noted. 

"(Former presidents) Moi and Kibaki left, they both gone, Uhuru is a normal citizen, Ruto is also going to go. If these are the things that are going on, where is he going to be walking around even to say hi to his grandchildren? Why is it irrelevant to our leaders is that history is no longer important?" Onyonka posed. 

The senator also called on an independent body to probe reports of police officers accessing Kenyans' sensitive call records to trace their whereabouts. 

"Young people are disappearing, some are being found. All leads lead to the fact that it is government officers tracking them down and arresting them."

"Information we're receiving is that some of them are being held and killed because of participating in the demonstrations that took place with the Gen Zs, how can that be propaganda?"

"There are families at Nairobi city mortuary where there are so many bodies, it's painful and yet these are things you would wish the country would not get into," he added.

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Citizen TV Citizen Digital Senator Onyonka abductions anti-Finance Bill protests

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