Justin Muturi Hits Back at President Ruto Over Forced Disappearances
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has once again launched a strong attack against President William Ruto, this time over the president’s latest remarks on the issue of forced disappearances in Kenya.
During a joint press conference at State House on Monday, May 13, held alongside visiting Finnish President Alexander Stubb, President Ruto admitted that cases of forced disappearances had indeed occurred.
He told the country that all Kenyans who had gone missing under suspicious circumstances had since been located and reunited with their families.
However, on Wednesday, May 14, Muturi took to X (formerly Twitter) to sharply criticize the president’s statement. He claimed that Ruto was only acknowledging something he—Muturi—had been raising alarm about for months.
“He’s only confirmed what I have been saying for the longest time,” Muturi wrote. Despite Ruto’s assurance that the matter had been resolved, the former CS dismissed the president’s remarks as lacking sincerity and urgency.
Muturi posed a bold question in his post, saying, “What was so difficult about admitting from the beginning that these were state-sponsored killings and disappearances? Why couldn’t they act to stop them earlier?”
Muturi has been among the loudest critics of the Kenya Kwanza administration, especially regarding cases of enforced disappearances. His public outcry began even before he was removed from his cabinet position in January this year.
In April, Muturi openly challenged the president’s account of why he was removed from his role. This came after Ruto granted an interview in which he explained the reasons behind Muturi’s dismissal. But Muturi insisted that the president was not being honest.
According to him, his termination had nothing to do with performance but was instead politically motivated. He believes his removal was a direct consequence of his unwavering stand against forced disappearances.
“There is absolutely no doubt that I was fired because I refused to stay silent about the disappearances,” he said during a media briefing last month.
He added defiantly, “If they thought firing me would silence me, then they called the wrong number. I will not stop speaking the truth.”
Muturi further revealed that in November 2024, he had tried to bring up the issue of forced disappearances for discussion during a Cabinet meeting. However, he claims he was ignored and his request was not entertained.
His firm stance on the issue gained more attention following a troubling incident involving his son, Leslie Muturi, in 2024.
According to Muturi, his son had been caught up in a situation that was only resolved after he personally reached out to President Ruto.
It was after this appeal that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) stepped in and acted quickly.
On Monday, while addressing the issue, President Ruto said that the government had now put in place an accountability system to prevent such incidents from happening again.
However, he stopped short of naming the individuals or agencies responsible for the previous disappearances.
Despite the president’s promises of reform and accountability, Muturi remains unconvinced. His strong words signal that he intends to keep up the pressure on the government until the issue is fully addressed and justice is served for all affected families.
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