Misleading Claims Made by President Ruto During Sunday’s Interview, Cyprian Nyakundi Reveals
During his televised interview Sunday night, President William Ruto was hard-pressed to defend the government’s response to days of nationwide protests against the Finance Bill 2024. Here are some misleading claims that stood out.
Claim 1: “19 people according to the records that I have from the security agencies are dead.” Truth: There have been conflicting reports on the number of deaths during last Tuesday’s protests. Human rights groups such as Haki Africa and Kenya National Human Rights Commission report 21 to 23 deaths, while Human Rights Watch suggests at least 30 people were killed. President Ruto’s claim of 19 deaths is false.
Claim 2: “Ksh 2.4 billion worth of property has been destroyed.”
Truth: While there have been multiple reports of damage to property, including Parliament, the Supreme Court and private offices, the figure of Ksh 2.4 billion is difficult to verify. No official source or business lobby group has confirmed this amount. The president’s claim remains unproven.
Claim 3: “When I came into office I said there will be no extra-judicial killings in Kenya and I have made sure that there are no extra-judicial killings in Kenya.”
Truth: Amnesty International reported 136 extrajudicial executions in 2023, including 57 protesters killed during the Azimio demos. Progress towards holding police officers accountable has been minimal. The president’s claim that he ended extrajudicial killings is false.
Claim 4: “In 2022 we had 1 million tourists, last year we had 2 million and God-willing we expect to record 2.7 million this year. All hotels in Kenya today are operating 80 percent upwards.”
Truth: According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, international visitor arrivals in 2023 were 2 million. Hotel bed occupancy rates ranged between 21% and 32%. The president’s claim of 80% occupancy is not true.
