Opposition leader Raila Odinga has taken issue with President William Ruto “pursuing a personal vendetta” against former Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti.
In a press briefing in Nairobi Thursday, the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leader accused Ruto of turning the investigations into extrajudicial killings in the country into a witch-hunt against Kinoti and some police officers.
Raila regretted that President Ruto’s regime had resorted to being “vindictive” against the state officers of the former regime “in the pretext of pursuing extrajudicial persecutions.”
“As a party, we believe in the sanctity of life of every Kenyan. We believe in the rule of law. We believe in due process. We are opposed to extrajudicial executions in our country because our supporters have been the greatest victims over the years. We believe that all, not some, cases of real or suspected extrajudicial executions need to be investigated and those responsible be punished.
“We are however firmly opposed to the current trend, directed by a vindictive regime and president that seems to be pursuing a personal vendetta against specific current and past State officers in the pretext of pursuing extra-judicial executions,” Odinga said.
According to the ODM leader, “William Ruto’s grudge against George Kinoti and the DCI started way before elections. Ruto appears to believe that the coming of the UDA regime is a perfect mandate for him to punish the officers he long had a grudge against. We are here to say no.”
The former Prime Minister insisted that they would not sit and watch President Ruto advance his agenda to persecute the officers who were just doing their job.
“We oppose that attempt to sacrifice state officers who in the line of duty may have rubbed the politicians the wrong way,” he said.
Citing Ruto’s inquest into the two missing Indians and a driver, Odinga called for “an equal vigorous investigation into the search and deaths of other Kenyans”.
Raila Odinga called on Rutoto invite foreign detectives such as the Scotland Yard to probe unresolved murders of prominent Kenyans such as Chris Musando, Jacob Juma, Christopher Koech and Sergent Kipyegon Kenei.
Kenei was an Administration Police Officer attached to Ruto’s office while he was Deputy President. The officer died on February 2020 before recording a statement at the DCI on the Sh39.5 billion fake arms deal linked to the office of the Deputy President.
Koach was a witness at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the case of the late lawyer Paul Gicheru.
