Nairobi, April 2- Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has pushed back against claims that his removal from office was due to absenteeism or poor performance. Instead, he insists that his dismissal was politically motivated, stemming from his vocal stance against extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances—issues he says the government has failed to address.
Muturi revealed that his persistent calls for the Cabinet to deliberate on these human rights violations made him a target. He claimed that allies of President William Ruto had been advocating for his resignation, viewing his criticism as disruptive.
He admitted to skipping the last Cabinet meeting on March 11, asserting that there was no indication the agenda would cover the concerns he had repeatedly raised. According to him, he had written multiple letters urging the President to act, including one on March 10, but never received a response.
Expressing disbelief at Ruto’s claim that the Cabinet had already resolved the issue, Muturi dismissed this as misleading, pointing out that Cabinet dispatches he had received never included discussions on extrajudicial killings. He further suggested that the President’s remarks were emblematic of a growing public perception that his statements cannot always be taken at face value.
President Ruto, however, has offered a different explanation for Muturi’s removal. Speaking in a media interview, he stated that Muturi had originally been appointed as Attorney General but admitted struggling in the role due to his lack of recent legal practice. In an effort to support him, Ruto reassigned Muturi to another Cabinet position, but he allegedly continued to miss meetings, leaving the President with no choice but to let him go.
Comparing the situation to that of his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, Ruto emphasized that he believes in giving second chances. However, he suggested that Muturi’s exit was inevitable, adding that the former CS would not face hardship since he has a substantial pension.
