Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has joined other opposition leaders in accusing the government of supporting a secret capture squad that targets and silences critics and opposition figures in Kenya.
At a press conference on Tuesday, following the mysterious disappearance and later discovery of Juja MP George Koimburi, Kalonzo rejected the National Police Service’s claim that the MP had staged his own abduction.
He said this explanation did not make sense, especially given the growing lack of trust between the public and the police.
“There is a capture squad operating in this country,” Kalonzo declared. He referenced comments made by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua the previous night, who had acknowledged the existence of a special team allegedly tasked with eliminating opposition voices in Kenya.
Kalonzo further questioned the reliability of senior police officers. “Let Kanja make whatever statement he wants, but who will believe a police officer like him today?
The trust is broken,” he said. He emphasized that Kenyans are aware and determined, and nothing will stop them from removing the current government from power.
Both Kalonzo and Gachagua have hinted at the existence of this secret unit, with Gachagua providing additional disturbing details. He suggested that the squad might be using chemical inhalants to harm and torture government critics.
Earlier this year, Gachagua revealed that a special unit formed during the anti-finance bill protests of 2024 was behind many attacks on the opposition.
He said this team included former officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Administration Police, and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and accused them of plotting to poison him.
On Monday, Gachagua visited the hospitalized Juja MP George Koimburi at Karen Hospital and claimed that the MP could not speak or move his vocal cords after being exposed to an unknown chemical.
He described Koimburi as extremely weak, barely able to move, and suffering soft tissue injuries that appeared to be from torture during the 18 hours he was missing.
In January this year, Human Rights Watch Africa exposed a special government security unit believed to be responsible for a rising number of forced disappearances in Kenya during the past year.
At the launch of its 35th World Report edition, the group linked these disappearances to a secret unit called the Operations Support Unit (OSU).
According to Human Rights Watch Africa, the OSU is similar to the Special Squad Unit (SSU) that was active during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration but was later disbanded. The group’s director, Otsieno Namwaya, said this unit operates out of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations offices in Nairobi.
Meanwhile, Kalonzo announced that, together with a legal team, they are still planning to sue the Kenyan government at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged human rights violations, including forced disappearances and abuse by this secret squad.
This growing concern about the alleged abduction squad highlights a serious challenge to human rights and the rule of law in Kenya, with opposition leaders demanding accountability and justice for victims of such abuses.
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