Won’t Resign Till You Disclose Abductors, Mturi Tells Government
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Mturi at Kenya School of Government Mombasa. (Photo By Mwakwaya Raymond)
By Harrison Kivisu
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Public Service cabinet secretary Justin Muturi says he will continue to stay away from cabinet meetings until the issue of abductions and extrajudicial killings are listed among the key agendas of the cabinet.
Muturi said he would not resign even though there was a strained relationship between him and President William Ruto.
Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday March 20, 2025, the CS reiterated that President Ruto was yet to respond to a letter he wrote to him seeking to be excused from attending cabinet meetings over the issue.
He has not attended any cabinet meetings since he publicly called out the government over ongoing abductions and extrajudicial killings in the country.
“I have reasons as to why I don’t attend cabinet meetings. I wrote to the President to allow me not to attend because of some issues including abductions and until that’s deliberated in the cabinet I will not do so,” he said.
The CS had raised issues with the government after his son, Lesley Muturi, was abducted while in the company of his friends during the height of GenZees’ protests last year.
However, his son was later released following a concerted efforts of the CS that included having indulgence with the Head of State.
He bared it all in his statement to the Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI).
“I have that stand that it should be discussed because it’s affecting Kenyans. It should be known who is doing it and people should take responsibility. Many people have suffered and it should not be entertained.”
The CS spoke when he officially closed the 2nd Annual Huduma Centre Managers’ Conference at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa.
According to him the failure to attend cabinet meetings does not jeopardized his service delivery.
“Can you resign for telling the truth if there is a problem?” he posed and continued: “I am here to take responsibility”.
In his view, those perpetrating the forceful abductions should be apprehended and executed before a court of law.
“Let us wait a while and see if the letter I wrote will be responded to,” he added when responding on whether the President had answered his letter.
The CS appears isolated by the government when he attend the Huduma function without the accompaniment of County Commissioner or police commander.
When asked he responded: “I think they have other duties to do. Everyone has work to do so I believe they are busy elsewhere” and dismissed it as ‘a non-issue’.
In the meeting convened by Africa Union Commission with state department directors in Mombasa, the CS said the government was in the process of coming up with proper legislations to streamline the public service in the country.
“We have presented the draft law for consideration. Once implemented it will ensure terms and standards of Human resource HR functions, the law has been lacking since the promulgation of the constitution.”
The directors were drawn from 53 state departments and converged in Mombasa for capacity training program on the use of the state parties assessment tool (SPAT).
