Nairobi — President William Ruto has called on families who claim to have lost loved ones in the alleged "Githurai Massacre" to step forward and present themselves, along with the names of the victims, to him.
Speaking on Friday during an X Space session, President Ruto responded to questions from Kenyans, maintaining that the reported figure of 200 deaths at the hands of security agents was greatly exaggerated.
He emphasized that the loss of lives is not a "joking matter" and urged Kenyans to be cautious of misinformation and disinformation.
"It is good to be brutally honest, and I will not as President or even as a Kenyan ever say anything that is not factual, especially on a very serious matter of people losing lives," Ruto said in response to Osama Otero, the host of the discussion, who asserted the high casualty numbers.
"It is not possible. Are you saying 200 people were killed in Githurai? Really! Can the families come forward, people who are saying members of our family are missing, they went to picket and they did not come back; 200 people is not a joke."
When the host interjected, saying he had the names of the victims, citing social media reports, Ruto responded:
"Forget about social media. Tomorrow, I want you to bring the names and the family members of the people who are saying their loved ones are missing. Don't even take them anywhere, bring them to State House."
He added that those who come forward should also provide reports of the location of the alleged victims.
According to Ruto, only one person "unfortunately" lost their life in Githurai, far fewer than the alleged 200.
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"We are dealing with a very serious issue, please let us not use information that is not verified. It just helps to create a situation that is not right."
The President criticized the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) for claiming that over 100 people had died in the "Githurai Massacre."
KNCHR reported that it had "received unverified reports of scores of residents who were killed by stray bullets," which it said it would investigate.
Ruto stated that his stance was corroborated by a BBC report, which ruled out the occurrence of a massacre in Githurai.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo had equally called for an international investigation into what she described as a "massacre" in Githurai following widespread reports.
"We call upon the international community to conduct independent investigations into the massacre meted on the residents of Githurai, Nairobi, on the night of 25 June 2024," she said.
"I dare ask, is Githurai a protected area? Is Githurai an area that members of the public should not stay, should not live? Why was there a massacre where people are living peacefully? We demand answers to those questions."
