Justin Muturi: Why I'll Not Attend Cabinet Meetings

The CS has been absent from three Cabinet meetings in the past three months, missing sessions on January 21, February 11, and March 11, 2025, fueling speculation about a potential rift with President William Ruto.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Mar 12, 2025 - 23:53
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Justin Muturi: Why I'll Not Attend Cabinet Meetings
Public Service CS Justin Muturi on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on January 12, 2025. /JASE MWANGI.CITIZEN TV

Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Justin Muturi has revealed that he will not attend Cabinet meetings until the issues of police abductions and extrajudicial killings are included in the agenda.

Muturi was explaining the reason for his recent absences from Cabinet meetings during an interview with Citizen TV. The CS has been absent from three Cabinet meetings in the past three months, missing sessions on January 21, February 11, and March 11, 2025, fueling speculation about a potential rift with President William Ruto.

Muturi, however, clarified that although attending Cabinet meetings is mandatory, he had requested and received permission from President Ruto to be absent.

His decision was based on his position regarding police abductions and extrajudicial killings, which escalated after the anti-government protests in June 2024.

CS Justin Muturi speaking to the media at Kilimani Police Station on January 14, 2025. /JUSTIN MUTURI

“It is mandatory to attend meetings unless given authority or excused by the chair of the Cabinet, who is the president, but people do get indisposed for all manner of reasons,” Muturi said.   

“In my case, I have written and sought to be excused from Cabinet meetings unless the agenda of abductions and extrajudicial killings is formally tabled before Cabinet, through a Cabinet memorandum, so that the Cabinet is able to express itself and give the country the way forward with regards to abductions and extrajudicial killings. So, I sought to be excused for these reasons.”

When asked whether his absences were a form of gross insubordination, he stated that “It is not insubordination when you seek to be excused."

"The President did say that we have had extrajudicial killings. What I expected, and I still expect, is that he should give direction or instruct the relevant Cabinet Secretary to prepare a Cabinet memorandum detailing these issues. These are not simple matters," he added.

Muturi cautioned against remaining silent on such pressing issues, emphasizing the recent rise in lawlessness and violence following political demonstrations, citing recent cases such as Mathare, where, despite police being nowhere to be seen, innocent motorists and pedestrians were robbed and attacked during President Ruto's tour of the constituency. "I have heard similar reports today from Kangemi. If true, this is extremely dangerous for the country," he continued.

Regarding his resignation, Muturi rejected calls from some government leaders urging him to resign and dismissed speculation about his potential departure amid rumors of a rift with President Ruto. He insisted that there were no valid reasons for him to step down.

Muturi asserted that speaking out against the President and the government over the abductions and killings of Gen Z protesters last year aligns with his duty as a public servant and should be commended rather than criticized.

He further emphasized that the Kenya Kwanza alliance had pledged during its campaign to end enforced disappearances. Therefore, he is simply reminding President Ruto's administration to honor the commitment it made to the Kenyan people after taking office.

“The issue I raised on January 12 was an objection to abductions and extrajudicial killings which were happening in the country. In that statement, I did indicate that it is time that we as government debated on those issues because if left alone, they have the potential to drag this country into chaos and anarchy,” Muturi said.

“As far as I know, it is not the policy of the government to abduct or to have people killed. Speaking against that cannot be a ground for anybody to resign from office. Indeed, I think I should be congratulated for restating the government position, which is also informed by our own constitution which we all swore to protect, defend and uphold.”

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah in a recent interview with Al Jazeera revealed that Muturi was on the verge of being sacked, claiming he knows 'he is on his way out'.

His rumoured exit could come around the same time as a rumoured Cabinet reshuffle to include allies of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who recently signed a political cooperation agreement with President Ruto, with some technocrats being forced to make way for political figures from the opposition.

President William Ruto during a Cabinet meeting on March 11, 2025. /PCS

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