
Public Service CS Justin Muturi
By Wanderi Kamau
Could Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi be on his way out of President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza regime?
This is what emerged on Sunday, 12 January 2025, after Mr Muturi addressed a rare press conference in Nairobi, accusing President Ruto’s regime over increasing cases of abductions in the country.
While as a Cabinet Secretary, Muturi is bound by the aspect of collective responsibility, not to cast any blame to the same government he serves, his move has left tongues wagging on his future in the current regime.
In his address to the press, Muturi expressed his disappointment over the ongoing wave of abductions in the country, saying that at the height of their campaigns in 2022, they promised Kenyans never to allow such actions to happen in their watch.
He said that its ironic that what is going on in the country is exactly what they blamed retired President Uhuru Kenyatta for.
“One of the things we had accused the past regime of was the existence of disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Kenyans and we vowed that we would never under our watch condone or allow such. We stated this time and time again in the lead up to the last general elections. Today, there has been a number of abductions and in some cases unexplained deaths since the Gen Z revolt of June last year and it is unfortunate as most of the people being abducted and or killed are our youth, leaving the parents, relatives, friends and the family members in a state of confusion and loss,” said Muturi.
He said that his move to condemn abductions is given that he, too, has been a victim, after his son, Leslie Muturi, was controversially abducted and released by unknown people last year.
“I have personally suffered as my son was abducted and disappeared, and I was not sure whether he was alive or dead, making us anxious, and leaving me and my wife and the rest of the family in turmoil. It must be remembered that at that time, I was serving as the Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya, and as it is well known, a member of the National Security Council (NSC). Despite making several requests, I was unable to trace my son. I made demands to all the levels of the security apparatus of the country. Now, more than six months later after that ordeal and the release of my son by unknown forces, he has not been charged with any offence,” stated Muturi.
He said that so far, he has not received any communication from the security agencies on why his son was abducted.
Hours after Muturi’s press conference, the National Police Service (NPS) on Sunday evening released a statement, urging the CS and other Kenyans with any information on incidents of abductions to record statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“We wish to invite CS Muturi and any other person with information on the incident to record a statement with DCI Kilimani,” stated the NPS
“The DCI has so far opened several inquiry files that are at various stages of investigations, and the same will soon be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) upon conclusion of investigations,” stated the letter, signed by DCI’s Director of Liaison and Corporate Communications John K Marete.
While Muturi’s address touched on an issue of national concern to most Kenyans, political analysts told Newsflash Kenya that it could be an early sign of his exit from Ruto’s regime.
Muturi’s move also comes barely a week after a section of locals in Embu County barred him from reading Ruto’s condolence message to the family of former Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti during his son’s burial.
“Muturi’s move is very calculated. After the Embu incident, he may have realized that Ruto has lost political support he enjoyed in Mt Kenya. Given that he still has future political ambitions, he wants to sail with the current political wave, which seems to favour former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua,” says political analyst James Murache.
However, he says that the CS’s political moves in the coming days will be what will determine his final political path ahead of the 2027 elections.