President Ruto fires CS Muturi in Cabinet reshuffle

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has been fired as President William Ruto effected mini-changes in his Cabinet.

Ruto has named Mbeere North Member of Parliament Geoffrey Ruku as the new Public Service CS nominee.

The move by Ruto comes barely a day after the Head of State referred to Muturi as 'incompetent' when he served as the Attorney General.

The CS has been a vocal critic of the government, even skipping Cabinet meetings. 

In a recent interview, he revealed that he formally requested President Ruto to excuse him from attending Cabinet meetings until the issue of abductions and extrajudicial killings is prioritized for discussion.

"Attending Cabinet meetings is mandatory unless one has permission from the President, which is what I sought," Muturi stated on Citizen TV.

He insisted that his decision was not insubordination, as he had formally written to the Cabinet chair seeking exemption.

For the first time, President Ruto on Tuesday openly displayed his differences with Muturi.

It all began on Tuesday when Ruto described Muturi as someone who was ‘fairly incompetent’ when he served as Attorney General.

The comment was in relation to how he handled legal matters concerning the establishment of Waqf, an endowment made by a Muslim to a religious, educational, or charitable cause.

“I had a problem with the AG who was there before, he was fairly incompetent. But now, I have a very competent lady in the position, and I can assure you that the issues of Waqf will be sorted out within months,” the President said on Tuesday.

Ruto’s remarks were in response to concerns raised by Muslim leaders who had attended the state Iftar dinner over delays in operationalising the endowment fund despite an existing Act (Waqf Act, 2022).

Muturi, in a swift rejoinder to the remarks, however, said that while the act exists, it does not provide for the creation of a Muslim Endowment Fund.

He insisted that it is a personal initiative by any individual who professes Islam.

“Under the Waqf Act no.8 of 2022, there’s no provision for a “Muslim Endowment Fund. It must be understood that a Waqf is a religious, charitable or benevolent endowment by a person who professes the Muslim faith and is managed by the Waqf Commission,” the former AG said.