The United Opposition led by Wiper Democratic Party has issued a scathing statement condemning what they describe as a dangerous slide into political repression, abductions, and extrajudicial killings under President William Ruto’s administration.
In a strongly worded press conference held in Nairobi, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, PLP leader Martha Karua, DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa, and former Attorney General Justin Muturi called for urgent action to halt what they termed as “state-sponsored political terrorism.”
The leaders were speaking after visiting Juja MP George Koimburi at Karen Hospital. Koimburi is recovering from injuries sustained after an alleged abduction on Sunday, in which he was reportedly tortured and abandoned in a coffee plantation.
“This horrifying incident is not isolated—it is part of a chilling trend where elected leaders and citizens aligned with the opposition are being systematically targeted to silence dissent,” read the statement titled “United Opposition Press Statement on the Escalating Human Rights Violations and Political Intolerance in Kenya and the Region.”
The opposition accused the government of orchestrating or condoning widespread violations of civil liberties, including violent dispersals of peaceful gatherings, arbitrary arrests, and political interference in public protests. They cited incidents in Kakamega and Bungoma where police used live ammunition on civilians and disrupted public demonstrations.
The group also raised alarm over alleged state-enabled political violence, accusing security agencies of shielding or collaborating with armed goons who disrupt opposition rallies across the country. “From Busia to Kisumu, Nairobi to Nyeri, opposition meetings have been ambushed, tents destroyed, sound systems and cars vandalized, and citizens assaulted,” the leaders said.
In a significant escalation, the opposition also condemned the killing of a Catholic priest who had hosted some of the leaders, expressing solidarity with the Church and calling it a “heinous crime.”
The statement further decried the role of private sector actors, particularly telcos, in enabling illegal surveillance. Safaricom was specifically mentioned, with the opposition demanding that the company publicly account for data shared with security agencies and affirm its commitment to protecting customer privacy.
The opposition also issued a warning to political and business elites allegedly funding or enabling repression, as well as foreign diplomats who have remained silent. “History will remember your complicity,” they declared.
Among their demands were:
An immediate end to politically motivated violence, abductions, and extrajudicial killings.
Accountability for telecommunication companies and private actors involved in illegal surveillance.
Cessation of state-backed disruption of peaceful political assemblies.
Protection of constitutional rights, including freedom of assembly, association, expression, and political participation.
The leaders reminded President Ruto that he is not immune from prosecution for crimes against humanity, referencing international statutes and Kenya’s own constitution. They invoked the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights as legal frameworks that the government is allegedly violating.
“This is not a partisan issue — it is a national emergency,” the statement concluded. “We will not relent until justice and the rule of law are restored and every Kenyan can live and speak without fear.”
The statement comes amid rising political tensions and mounting pressure on the government to uphold constitutional freedoms in a climate increasingly marked by accusations of repression and impunity.