Uriri Member of Parliament Mark Nyamita has cautioned against politicizing recent cases of extrajudicial killings, stating that removing President William Ruto from office will not solve the deep-rooted issue.
Speaking amid mounting public concern over a string of abductions and killings, Nyamita emphasized the need for national dialogue, rather than assigning blame to the current administration.
“We need to sit as a country and think about how do we stop this? It is not by removing President Ruto, because killings did not come with President Ruto,” Nyamita said.
He condemned the killings and abductions, affirming that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), where he is a member, does not support such occurrences. Nyamita instead called for constructive engagement on reforms to safeguard the rule of law and human rights.
The legislator praised the Kenya Kwanza administration for what he described as efforts to grant the police operational independence.
“The boldest government that has given a bit of independence to the police is this government, because what is independence? Independence is being given the power to decide,” he noted.
Nyamita added that Parliament retains the authority to hold the police accountable, including summoning them for oversight, issuing sanctions, and even dismissing the Inspector General if necessary.
He also recalled that extrajudicial killings have plagued previous regimes, saying that the value of lives lost now is no different from those lost in earlier administrations.
Nyamita’s remarks come in response to contrasting views expressed by ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, who has insisted that removing President Ruto is a top national priority. Sifuna argued that the president’s leadership is undermining the Constitution and urged citizens to rally around his removal ahead of the 2027 elections.
“In my ranking, removing Ruto is top. It’s even higher than getting the second terminal at JKIA or dualling Malaba to Mombasa,” said Sifuna, adding that there is no room for sentiments in the mission to oust the head of state.
The divergent views within ODM signal growing internal debate on the strategy for confronting state power and addressing alleged human rights violations.
Written By Rodney Mbua
