Justin Muturi Discloses He Initially Turned Down William Ruto's Job Offer as AG
- President William Ruto named Justin Muturi as attorney general when he named the first Cabinet after the 2022 polls
- Muturi revealed he accepted the position after Ruto pleaded with him to take it after he served as National Assembly speaker
- The president publicly criticised Muturi, describing his time as AG "fairly incompetent" in addressing important legal issues
Japhet Ruto, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over eight years of experience in finance, business, and technology, delivering insightful analysis of economic trends in Kenya and globally.
Former Public Service Cabinet secretary (CS) Justin Muturi has revealed he initially turned down President William Ruto's job offer to serve as Kenya's attorney general.
Source: Facebook
Why Muturi declined Ruto's offer
Muturi disclosed he was uncomfortable with the position that came with huge responsibilities as he had served as National Assembly speaker for two terms.
Speaking to NTV on Friday, April 4, the politician noted he wanted to be a CS with fewer duties.
"One thing I told William Ruto and which he refused to tell Kenyans is that when he offered me the position of attorney general, I turned it down. That was before. I told him, well, I have been a speaker for 10 years, there's too much reading. I told him I just wanted to be a Cabinet member so I could take any ministry. I did not choose, we left it at that."
How Ruto convinced Muturi
Days later, Muturi revealed Ruto appealed to him through his successor Moses Wetang'ula to accept the job.
When he declined it, the president summoned him to State House, Nairobi and convinced him.
"We met with Wetang'ula in Karen. He informed me he had been sent by the president to plead with me to take the AG's position. I said I could accept it with one reservation: sticking to the law. You know I feared taking a job where I could not exercise my freedom and interpret the law to the best of my knowledge. But Ruto told me that's the reason why I want you to take the job."
After being sacked, Muturi described Ruto as 'corrupt' and claimed he's unfit to hold the office.
"Ruto is irredeemably corrupt. He is unfit for the position of president. I have come to my conclusion that he is a dangerous character," he alleged.
"I refused to sign the Arror/Kimwarer dams. The Italians were paid billions. In Kimwarer, nothing has happened because the report provided was faulty," he added.
Source: Facebook
Why did Ruto sack Muturi?
Ruto publicly criticised Muturi, describing his time as AG "fairly incompetent" in addressing important legal issues, such as the Waqf Commission's formation.
Muturi, who was AG from 2022 to 2024, was fired along with the majority of Ruto's Cabinet after the historic June 25, 2024, protests spearheaded by Generation Z.
After being named as Public Service CS, he often disagreed with the president on several issues, including extrajudicial killings and kidnappings.
As a result, the president fired him and accused him of absconding duty by missing Cabinet sessions.
What's Muturi's exit package?
Muturi will get lucrative perks following his exit from the public service.
A retired speaker is eligible for a pension and other lifetime benefits under the Retirement Benefits Act of 2015.
Muturi's pension for the job is equivalent to 80% of his last month's salary when he was employed.
Additionally, he will get a lump sum payment equivalent to one year's wages for each term he served - in his case, two terms.
He will receive KSh 3.5 million in gratuity for serving as CS, speaker and attorney general.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
