President William Ruto has dismissed Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi and nominated Mbeere Member of Parliament Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku as his replacement.
The announcement was made through a statement issued by Chief of Staff Felix Koskei.
Muturi’s fallout with President Ruto had been brewing for months, mainly due to his outspoken criticism of the government over abductions and killings of Gen Z protesters in June and December 2024, an issue that personally affected him as his son was also a victim.
He had previously stated that he had requested to be excused from Cabinet meetings until the matter of police abductions and extrajudicial killings was addressed.
Despite the growing tensions, Muturi defended his stance, saying that calling out the government on such issues was part of his sworn duty as a public servant and that he should be commended rather than criticized.
After weeks of silence, President Ruto addressed the matter on Tuesday during an Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi, where he described Muturi as “fairly incompetent.”
Ruto faulted Muturi’s performance, particularly in his former role as Attorney General, saying his inefficiency in setting up the Muslim Endowment Fund (Waqf) had cost the commission a chance to manage Islamic endowments.
