Promises are easy; tell us who gave orders to shoot the youth

During an event to mark Katiba @16, President William Ruto finally acknowledged that his regime mishandled the 2024 Gen-Z protests. He lamented that lives were lost needlessly. He said those culpable of human rights abuses would be held accountable. Mr Ruto affirmed that no one should be arrested for criticising the government, and peaceful protests should not be criminalised. If you had closed your eyes and listened to the speech, you could have been forgiven for thinking it was being delivered by a human rights official from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. Did Mr Ruto really believe in the things he was saying? When did the conversion from Saul to Paul happen? Was it when he received the speech from his speech writers or did the epiphany occur as he read the speech, or was he just paying lip service to human rights issues because the election is around the corner? I ask these questions because, since the massacre of Gen-Z youths in 2024, the president has never acknowledged any wrongdoing. In fact, the 2024 killings were followed by a spate of abductions, torture and forced disappearances of youthful activists. Kithure Kindiki, who was in charge of the security docket in 2024, arrogantly and mockingly claimed in parliament that some of those killed were shot by fellow demonstrators. At one point, President Ruto ordered police to shoot protesters in the legs. Not to be outdone, his minister of security, as well as a rabidly pro-regime MP, issued shoot-to-kill orders. These orders - to shoot in the legs or to kill - were made casually, as if those being shot were rabbits running in a meadow. At various times, the president has equated protesting with treason and protesters with goons. During the anniversary of the 2024 massacre last year and this year, more youth were killed, abducted, tortured or disappeared. In addition, goon militias routinely attack opposition rallies, churches hosting oppositionists, and human rights offices, leaving behind injuries and deaths. A few days ago, an editor at the Standard Media Group was abducted by secret police and interrogated for hours before being dumped in a remote area. He is among the lucky few to survive an abduction relatively unharmed. Other abductees are found with serious injuries or even dead.