Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Justin Muturi is under pressure to resign or face a censure motion after being criticized by Aldai Member of Parliament Marianne Kitany for publicly speaking against the government regarding the rising cases of abductions in Kenya.
On Tuesday, January 14, Kitany threatened to initiate a censure motion against CS Muturi, faulting him for openly criticizing the very government he serves.
She insisted that if he was dissatisfied with how the government was handling the issue, he should step down from his position instead of voicing his concerns in the media.
“CS Justin Muturi should resign if he feels the government he serves is not acting appropriately. It is contradictory for him to critique a system he is part of.
If he refuses to step down, I will personally sponsor a censure motion against him in Parliament,” Kitany declared.
The MP, a strong supporter of President William Ruto, further questioned Muturi’s decision to air his grievances through the media instead of raising the concerns within the Cabinet.
She argued that addressing such issues publicly was unproductive, as ordinary citizens had no power to act on his complaints.
“Justin Muturi, as a Cabinet Secretary, has direct access to the highest decision-making body in the country. If he has concerns, that is the appropriate platform to raise them, not the media.
What does he expect the ordinary Kenyan to do about abductions?” Kitany questioned.
The backlash followed remarks made by Muturi during a press briefing at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi on Sunday, January 12.
Muturi expressed his frustration over the government’s handling of abductions, revealing that his own son had been abducted in June during the anti-government protests.
The CS explained that he felt compelled to repeat concerns he had previously voiced during a funeral service in Embu, as his calls for action by security agencies had been ignored.
Muturi, who once served as Attorney General and a senior member of the National Security Council, expressed his dismay over the continued abductions, especially targeting young people, despite his high-ranking position in government.
“We had strongly condemned the previous government for the issue of abductions and forced disappearances.
Today, the same issues persist, including cases of forced deaths, mostly targeting the youth. My own son was abducted, and we were left deeply distressed.
This happened when I was the Attorney General and a member of the National Security Council,” Muturi revealed.
However, Kitany maintained that Muturi should have leveraged his position within the Cabinet to demand accountability instead of airing the matter publicly.
She emphasized that the Cabinet, being the highest policy-making body in Kenya, was the right forum for him to seek justice for his son.
“The Cabinet is the most powerful decision-making institution in Kenya. CS Muturi has a seat at that table and should have addressed the issue of his son’s abduction there,” Kitany asserted.
Muturi’s statements have ignited a fierce debate, highlighting growing tensions within the government.
The public clash between senior officials points to an apparent rift in the top leadership regarding the country’s governance and handling of critical security issues.
