The Secretary General of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), Cleophas Malala, has claimed that his party has already started the process of petitioning the United Nations (UN) to stop President William Ruto from making a speech at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Thursday, August 21, Malala argued that President Ruto does not deserve to speak to the world about human rights because of the way his government has been handling the issue in Kenya.
According to the former Kakamega Senator, the petition accuses President Ruto’s administration of being responsible for extrajudicial killings and unlawful detentions that have created fear and mistrust among ordinary Kenyans.
“We have petitioned the UN so that President Ruto is not allowed to speak about human rights. His government has been behind extrajudicial killings and illegal state detentions, and therefore he cannot lecture the world on such issues,” Malala said.
Malala further revealed that the DCP is preparing to launch a massive campaign to gather more than 10 million signatures from Kenyans in support of the petition.
He explained that this public participation will serve as evidence to convince the United Nations not to give Ruto a platform to speak during the General Assembly.
“We have also announced that we will be collecting 10 million signatures across the country to back our petition. This will strengthen our call to the UN General Assembly to bar him from making statements on matters of human rights,” he added.
Each September, world leaders convene at UN Headquarters in New York City for the UN General Assembly. For decades, UNGA has remained an essential forum to address the world’s most pressing challenges.
The 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) will officially open on Tuesday, September 9. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, September 23, running until September 27, with the summit wrapping up on September 29.
In addition to the General Debate, which features addresses by world leaders, the General Assembly will hold its fourth high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health, a high-level meeting on the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, and a high-level meeting on the 30th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth.
President Ruto has always attended UNGA summits, and in his capacity as Head of State, he has had opportunities to address leaders on important topics affecting the world.
Ruto is expected to fly to the summit in what will be his first trip to the US under President Donald Trump’s administration.
His attendance is a pivotal move for Kenya, especially after the latest developments that Kenya is currently facing, a proposed review of its designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States.
