On 29th August 2023, President Ruto while on a public forum in Vihiga uttered a controversial statement directed towards alleged corrupt State officials and businessmen in the sugar industry.
He warned that if the tycoons did not stop frustrating the government’s efforts to initiate reforms in the sugar industry, only three options would be available to them; to flee the country, go to jail or go to heaven. These remarks were largely considered as a threat to the involved parties. This came shortly after Rai Singh, the owner of West Kenya Sugar was abducted by armed men in broad daylight at Lenana road in Nairobi.
These statements have made Kenyans to believe that the abduction of Rai were connected to the rising cases of forceful, and illegal abductions by the ununiformed police officers.
Following these statements, a petition has been filed by Operation Linda Jamii at Milimani Law Courts seeking orders to have President Ruto withdraw the maneno ni matatu statement and formally apologise for the utterances.