Muturi: 'Ruto is irredeemably corrupt and unfit for president'

Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has accused President William Ruto of corruption and declared him unfit to hold office.

Muturi, once ally, now arch-nemesis, claims the president has abandoned their shared commitment to integrity in public service that saw them join forces to form the government in 2022.

Muturi alleges that Ruto has instead used his office for personal financial gain, a shift that led to their falling out.

“I think William Ruto is actually unfit for the position of the President of the Republic of Kenya. I have sadly come to that conclusion,” said Muturi, adding, “he is irredeemably corrupt.”

He cited the now-shelved Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) renovation deal as an example, alleging that it was orchestrated by Ruto through proxies.

Muturi claims he first learned of the deal from one of Ruto’s advisors during the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023.

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Another deal, he says, involved unidentified Russian investors who had pledged Sh1 billion for Kenya’s tree-planting initiative under the Ministry of Environment. However, he alleges the execution plan was irregular.

Muturi further said that businessman Narendra Raval, a close associate of Ruto, pressured him to sign documents related to the Russian deal. He says Raval offered him a private jet ride from India to Dubai, where Ruto allegedly called him, urging him to sign the agreement.

“Guru, who is one of the Guptas, told me he chartered an executive jet for a direct flight. Immediately I landed in Dubai, Ruto called me saying the Russians were waiting for me to sign things,” he further claimed.

“I told him I was in transit, thus unable to leave the airport. He said my staff had already prepared the documents but I insisted that I needed to do a review when I got to the office.”

He also alleges that many government programs initiated under Ruto’s administration are designed to generate personal financial benefits for the president while bypassing legal safeguards.

In response, Ruto dismissed Muturi’s claims, attributing their differences to the former CS’s alleged incompetence as Attorney-General.

“I had a problem with the AG who was there; he was fairly incompetent, but we now have a competent lady," Ruto said while addressing Muslims who gathered for an Iftar dinner on March 25 at State House, Nairobi.

He accused Muturi of stalling the establishment of the Muslim Endowment Fund, a project being championed by Muslim leaders.

Muturi, however, has denied any personal vendetta, insisting his allegations are based on governance concerns rather than his removal from the Cabinet.

Why I took up AG job

Muturi says he initially rejected the offer for an Attorney General position having served as a speaker after which he preferred a less engaging role. He would later be convinced to step into the State Law Office on the counsel of close advisors including current National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula.

“I told Ruto, you know me to be a stickler for the law and if I take up this job and perhaps one day you want to do things in a particular way which the law does not allow, I will have problems and that’s why I’m reluctant to take up this job.”