DCP Petitions UN To Block Ruto From Addressing UNGA

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, has called on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to deny President William Ruto the opportunity to address its upcoming 80th session.

In a statement issued on Monday, August 18, 2025, DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malalah questioned what President Ruto intends to address at the UN gathering, which will be held under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More Peace, Development and Human Rights.”

Malalah stated that the President has allegedly violated the same principles of human rights, dignity, and peace on which the United Nations was founded.

“Under his watch, Kenya has witnessed brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrations. Young Kenyans exercising their constitutional right to protest have been met with live bullets, unlawful detentions, and state-sponsored abductions,” read part of the statement.

He added that journalists and activists continue to face harassment and intimidation, while innocent citizens have lost their lives at the hands of security forces without any accountability from the government.

“We therefore join the people of Kenya in petitioning the United Nations not to grant him the honor of addressing the upcoming convention. Doing so would amount to legitimizing dictatorship, tyranny, and betraying the youth, women, and people of Kenya whose only ‘crime’ was demanding their rights, justice and accountability,” Malalah said.

The party further called on the UN General Assembly to review President Ruto’s eligibility to speak on issues of peace and human rights, and urged the United States, as the host nation, to consider declaring him persona non grata in line with international practices against leaders accused of human rights violations.

The DCP insisted that allowing the President to speak at the global forum would send the wrong message to victims of state brutality and undermine the principles of democracy and justice.