Opposition Leaders Decry Extrajudicial Killings, Demand Transparent IEBC Process Ahead of 2027 » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 29 – Opposition leaders have condemned what they termed as ‘state-sanctioned violence and creeping authoritarianism’ under President William Ruto’s administration, following the killing of five people during a land dispute in Kilgoris, Transmara West.
In a joint statement, opposition figures including Martha Karua(PLP), Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka(Wiper), Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Former CSs Justin Muturi,Mithika Linturi, Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K), and Toreme Saitoti accused the government of orchestrating illegal land grabs through intimidation, violence, and extrajudicial killings tactics they say echo Kenya’s darkest chapters.
“What happened in Kilgoris is not an isolated incident. It is a continuation of a disturbing pattern where the state uses security forces to violently dispossess communities of their ancestral land,”
“We are seeing the use of brute force against innocent civilians whose only crime is standing up for their land and dignity. This is unacceptable in a constitutional democracy,” the statement read.
The deadly confrontation in Kilgoris involved a dispute over 6,800 acres of land claimed by the local community. Witnesses say heavily armed General Service Unit (GSU) officers opened fire on protesting residents, leaving at least five dead.
“This regime has weaponized the police and turned them against the very people they are sworn to protect.Since 2022, we have seen a steady erosion of civil liberties, the rise of a rogue security culture, and a justice system that is either complicit or silent. The Kenyan people are being betrayed,”the statement read.
Citing growing instances of land-related violence and forced evictions from Mavoko and Nairobi to Ndabibi and now Kilgoris the opposition leaders said the Ruto administration is overseeing a coordinated campaign of land dispossession, aided by corrupt officials and rogue security agencies.
“We remind the President that land rights are sacred, protected by Articles 60, 63, and 64 of our Constitution.Any attempt to violate these rights is a betrayal of the people’s trust and a grave abuse of power. This isn’t just a local issue this is a national crisis,”the statement read.
The leaders also referenced the recent BBC exposé #BloodParliament, which investigated the killings of protestors during anti-government demonstrations in June 2024. The documentary suggested that elements of the police and military acted under covert shoot-to-kill orders — before official authorization of their deployment.
“The BBC investigation merely confirmed what Kenyans have long whispered in fear: that there are clandestine squads within our security services operating with impunity.We are talking about killings, abductions, and targeted repression all directed from the very top,”read the statement.
They called for an independent investigative commission composed of both state and non-state actors to hold accountable those responsible for human rights abuses, warning that the current internal mechanisms such as IPOA and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) have failed.
“We can no longer rely on compromised institutions to investigate themselves.The time has come for a people-driven, transparent process to expose the truth and bring justice to the victims,”read the statement.
On the ongoing recruitment of new commissioners to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the opposition expressed grave concern over the credibility of the process, which they claim lacks transparency, inclusivity, and integrity.
“The IEBC must not be reduced to a partisan tool. We will not sit back and watch as a sham process appoints commissioners whose loyalty lies with the executive and not with the Constitution.This country cannot afford another disputed election. The stakes are simply too high,”the statement read.
The leaders demanded that the IEBC selection panel engage in meaningful consultations with the opposition and civil society before forwarding any names to the President for appointment.
“If this process is hijacked and the outcome predetermined, we will not recognize the legitimacy of that commissionThere must be concurrence on appointments. The era of one-sided decision-making must end,”the statement read.
The leaders reiterated their commitment to upholding the Constitution, defending civil liberties, and mobilizing citizens to resist what they termed as “a gangster regime.”
“We will not stand idly by as Kenya is dragged into authoritarianism,” said Gachagua. “The people are awake. The chants of #RutoMustGo are growing louder. If this regime continues on its current path, it will go down in history as the first one-term presidency not by coincidence, but by consequence,”read the statement.