Opposition leaders have sharply condemned the fatal shooting of five people in Kilgoris, accusing the government of sanctioning extrajudicial killings and enabling a growing wave of state violence, land theft, and political repression.
The killings occurred on Monday, April 28, 2025, during a confrontation between residents and General Service Unit (GSU) officers over a disputed 6,800-acre parcel of land in Trans Mara West Sub-county, sparking nationwide outrage.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, leaders, including Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua, and others, blamed President William Ruto’s administration for what they described as a brutal campaign to displace communities and silence dissent.
“This tragedy is not an isolated incident but part of a growing pattern of state-enabled violence and land dispossession and forceful displacement by the Ruto Regime,” the statement reads.
Land grabbing
The opposition leaders further accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of facilitating systematic land grabs since assuming office, undermining constitutional protections that safeguard community lands and private ownership.
“Since the Kenya Kwanza Kleptocracy assumed office in 2022, Kenyans have witnessed blatant, shameless, and systematic efforts by President Ruto and his cronies to illegally and forcefully grab private and community land, grossly undermining the land rights underpinned in Articles 60, 63, and 64 of the Constitution of Kenya,” the opposition stated.
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They cited similar land disputes and evictions in Mavoko, Nairobi, and Ndabibi, accusing the government of utilising security forces to provide cover for fraudulent land cartels.
“Organised syndicates, operating with the protection of heavy-handed police forces and a compromised justice system, are fraudulently preparing ownership documents to forcefully and illegally expropriate land from rightful owners,” they added.
The opposition vowed to escalate the matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC), asserting that crimes against humanity are being committed under Ruto’s administration.
“With Ruto’s checkered past with forceful land displacements, we want to remind him that such acts are crimes against humanity and we are committed to escalating these cases to the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the statement continued.
June 2024 killings
The statement also referenced the BBC’s recent exposé, Blood Parliament, which detailed state-sanctioned killings of protesters in June 2024.
The opposition claimed that a covert killer squad within the security forces continues to operate outside formal oversight, executing abductions and assassinations with impunity.
“There is a handpicked killer squad from various security agencies that operates outside the command and control structure of the legitimate security institutions. That this killer squad complicit in the abductions and killings of peaceful demonstrators,” they stated.
“We strongly warn the Ruto regime of further bloodshed and any political assassinations,” the leaders cautioned.
In a broader rebuke of government institutions, the opposition accused oversight bodies like the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) of complicity and cover-ups.
They demanded the formation of an independent investigative commission involving both state and non-state actors to probe the alleged atrocities.
“Independent institutions tasked with holding our security agencies. Particularly, the IPOA and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) have abdicated their constitutional mandates and now operate at the behest of the regime, actively participating in cover-ups of human rights violations and gross violations of the constitution,” the leaders stated.
Transparency and fairness
Turning to the ongoing recruitment of new IEBC commissioners, the opposition raised concerns about transparency and fairness in the process.
They warned that failure to consult with the opposition and ensure credible appointments would lay the groundwork for a disputed election in 2027.
“We are gravely concerned that so far, the management of the recruitment process has not met the highest standards for credible elections. A failure to set up a Commission that inspires the confidence of Kenyans and all concerned parties may set the context for rigged elections in 2027, which Kenyans shall not accept,” the statement read.
“We will not stand idly by as Kenya is dragged into darkness. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to defending the Constitution, protecting the rights of every Kenyan, and resisting tyranny in all its forms,” they concluded.
