Safina Party Deputy Leader Willis Otieno has launched a scathing attack on the government over extrajudicial killings, corruption, and negligence, calling for respect for the sanctity of human life and dignity.

In a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, August 16, 2025, Otieno underscored the principle of the sanctity of human life, highlighting that it warns against reducing people to expendable statistics in the pursuit of profit or political gain.

“The sanctity of human life is one of the deepest and most enduring moral principles known to humanity. At its core, it affirms that every human being has inherent worth and dignity simply by virtue of being human, not because of wealth, race, gender, religion, social standing, or usefulness to others,” Otieno stated.

Better living conditions

The Safina deputy leader argued that respect for life is not only about curbing unlawful killings but also about creating conditions that enable citizens to live with dignity.

“The sanctity of life stands as a challenge to power. It tells governments, armies, and even individuals: you cannot reduce a person to an expendable statistic. It protests against extrajudicial killings, torture, wars of conquest, and systems of oppression that sacrifice people for profit or politics,” he declared.

Systemic injustices

Otieno called on the state to confront deep-rooted social and economic issues, questioning how hunger can persist in a land of plenty and why preventable deaths from inadequate healthcare and corruption remain prevalent.

“It also confronts society with uncomfortable questions. If life is sacred, how do we justify hunger amidst abundance? How do we excuse preventable deaths from poor healthcare, corruption, or negligence?” Otieno questioned.

Otieno emphasised that protecting the sanctity of life requires more than preventing unlawful killings, calling for broader societal commitment to human flourishing.

“The sanctity of life is not only about protecting people from being killed unlawfully; it also obliges us to preserve the conditions that allow life to flourish; dignity, justice, and compassion,” he concluded.