Senior Economic Advisor to President William Ruto‘s office Moses Kuria has responded to calls for the resignation of Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, amid a wave of abductions in Kenya.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday January 8 night, Kuria defended IG Kanja, asserting that the entire nation bears responsibility for the societal issues fueling the abductions of government critics.
The former Cabinet Secretary described the situation as one of “moral decay” and emphasized that both the public and the government are to blame for the surge in kidnappings over the past two months.
While acknowledging the government’s role in addressing the crisis, he suggested that the root cause lies in the broader societal behaviors and values, which, he implied, are equally culpable.
When asked whether IG Kanja should step down for failing to protect Kenyans and ignoring court summons, Kuria cautioned against hasty judgments.
Kuria defends IG Kanja
He further questioned the widespread criticism of the government, including that directed at President Ruto, suggesting that online commentators who have been relentlessly attacking the leadership also share responsibility for provoking the government’s actions.
“It is true that he (IG) needs to ensure abductions are stopped but should we resign as Kenyans because we are all guilty? When I watch my children do the things happening on social media, do I resign as a parent?” Kuria stated.
“It is so easy to point fingers; the kind of moral erosion, the kind of degradation of our values that we are seeing is so pervasive that nobody has the moral authority to ask anybody to resign. Because we all need to resign as parents, citizens and as religious people.”
Also Read: Gachagua Fires Back at Ichung’wah Over Abduction Claims
Also, Kuria weighed in IG Kanja’s failure to appear in before court to answer questions into an ongoing case involving incidents of abductions.
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The Police boss was dragged to court after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and other human rights groups filed an application accusing him of failing to address the abductions and compel him to produce the abducted youth.
Top security chiefs snub court
IG Kanja, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohammed Amin had been ordered to appear before the court on Wednesday, January 8, by 11 am alongside all Kenyans who were abducted recently including those who are yet to be found.
According to Milimani High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye, IG Douglas Kanja’s failure to adhere to the orders would automatically attract penal sanctions including contempt of court.
Also Read: Murkomen, IG Kanja Fail to Appear in Court Over Abductions
The three however failed to appear before the Court. Lawyers representing IG Kanja and DCI Amin while explaining why the two failed to appear saying that an urgent security situation arose as they were preparing to attend the court session.
On his part, Kuria argued that the IG should honor court summons as it is the right thing to do as a senior government official.
“I hope that the IG appears in court, he should appear in court, everybody summoned should appear in court, we don’t have that luxury,” added Kuria.
The High Court on Wednesday evening ordered both Kanja and Amin to appear in court on January 27 to give a report on recent abductions or risk sentencing and conviction.
This comes after Justice Mwamuye rejected the move by the top security chiefs to have lawyers represent them in the case.
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