Ichung’wah: I’m called Ruto’s wife just for working closely with him
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has dismissed claims that the Kenya Kwanza government is targeting critics on social media. He insisted that, despite being mocked online and called President William Ruto’s “wife,” he is focused on his work.
During an interview with Al Jazeera on February 27, 2025, Ichung’wah stated that the government is not bothered by online discussions. He emphasized that their main priority is governance, not social media opinions.
“I don’t really care about what people say on social media. Some have called me Ruto’s wife because I work closely with him, but that doesn’t affect me. My main focus is to do my job to the best of my ability. I believe the Kenya Kwanza team is also not concerned with online chatter,” Ichung’wah explained.
When asked if the government is suppressing dissenting voices online, he insisted that Kenya Kwanza leaders do not pay attention to such narratives.
Disappearance of Government Critics
Ichung’wah’s statement comes at a time when several outspoken critics of the government have gone missing, with some later found dead.
In December 2024, five people—Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, Gideon Kibet, and Rony Kiplangat—were kidnapped in different parts of Kenya. They were released a month later, in January 2025.
Their abductions were reportedly linked to their social media criticism of President Ruto, which led to public outrage.
One of the abductees, Kibet, is a cartoonist known as “Kibet Bull.” He became popular in November 2024 for his humorous caricatures of President Ruto. He was taken by suspected security officers shortly after meeting Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah in Nairobi.
Billy Mwangi, another abductee, shared his terrifying experience after being freed. He was taken while waiting for a haircut at a barbershop in Embu town. He described how four hooded men in a white pickup truck grabbed him.
“They dragged me into the vehicle. We drove for a long time, but I was too scared to know which direction we went,” Mwangi recalled.
“At the place they took me, I was locked in a dark room, beaten, and mentally tortured. I can’t remember everything that happened. It will take time to recover. Right now, I feel confused and unable to recall everything clearly,” he added.
Reports of Torture
On January 27, 2025, during a hearing before Justice Bahati Mwamuye, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) strongly suggested that the government was behind the abductions of online critics.
Kamanda Mucheke, KNCHR’s Deputy Director of Complaints and Investigations, pointed out that the method of abduction and release was similar in all cases.
“The commission believes the same people or group kidnapped all the victims due to the identical way the abductions and releases were carried out,” KNCHR stated in its affidavit.
KNCHR further reported that the victims were tortured and questioned about their online criticism of the government. They were warned against speaking publicly about their ordeal and forced to delete certain social media posts.
According to the commission, the abductees were stripped naked, had their hair shaved forcefully, and were left without clothes for days before being freed.
Before their release, each victim received transport money ranging from Ksh2,000 to Ksh3,500.
Ichung’wah: I’m called Ruto’s wife just for working closely with him
