On a phone call 48 hours after Donald Trump won the presidency, against the Democrat, Kamal Harris, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, engaged President Ruto on several grounds touching Eastern Africa and global affairs at large.
First, the Secretary of State applauded President Ruto for the commendable job the Kenya Security Team is doing in Haiti as the Multinantionla Security Support Mission leader to restore peace and stability, alongside the Haitian counterparts.
The Secretary also touched on the Tumaini Peace Initiative, seeking a full restoration of peace in South Sudan, and urged the South Sudanese leaders to take full advantage of the talks ongoing in Nairobi.
Sudan, which has plunged into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world since the conflict between the paramilitary group and government forces was discussed. Blinken and Ruto expounded on the need for an expedited coordinated effort to expand the humanitarian crisis and full restoration to civilian governance.
Secretary Blinken on Police Brutality and Ongoing Abductions in Kenya
One of the most significant talks the Secretary engaged with President Ruto—akin to the hot debate most Kenyans are discussing—is the misuse of law enforcement officers in countering protests and government critics.
The Secretary of State noted a deepening rift between the government and the youthful generation and civil society, especially following the June-August nation-wide protests over the Finance Bill 2024.
In their talk, Blinken urged President Ruto to ensure full accountability to security forces who overexcercise their power beyond the legal bounds to purge the protesters, leading to tens of casualties and forced abductions.
Blinken also touched on the continuous suppression of government critics and civil societies, which the government has ignored despite vowing to end forceful abductions and misuse of security agencies.
Two months down the line since the end of the Gen Z-led demonstrations, government security forces are still abducting dissenters. A brutal encounter was meted out to demonstrators during the June-August anti-Finance Bill 2024, claiming over 60 lives.
More than 200 people were reported missing, and up to date, some families and friends haven’t’ found their kin who disappeared during the protests. While the government has continuously remained silent on the ongoing abductions and refuted claims that police officers were involved, Kenyans have remained steadfast on the call for police reforms.
While being vetted by the Parliamentary Committee for the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration role, Prof. Kithure Kindiki said that police did not kill civilians, but goons in police camouflage shot protesters.
The constant refutation by the government as having failed to protect Kenyans whose rights and freedom to peacefully picket and demonstrate are provided for by the constitution underscores the continuous collapse of the relationship between the state and the general public, which has since laced it as the foe to liberty.
