Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development Justin Muturi speaks to the media at Nairobi Funeral Home on January 31, 2025.
Mixed reactions greeted the sacking of Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi in Mt Kenya with some leaders terming it long overdue, as others viewed the move as further alienation of the region from President William Ruto's administration.
The President fired Mr Muturi on Wednesday and replaced him with Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku who comes from the same constituency and is also a member of the Democratic Party.
Some residents from the region supported the move while others faulted the decision by the Head of State.
Nyeri town MP Duncan Mathenge said Mr Muturi “asked for it and saw it coming”, adding that it was not a surprise to the leaders in the region.
He said the former CS had flouted the principle of collective responsibility that all Cabinet Secretaries subscribe to, adding that his continued stay in the country’s highest decision-making organisation was untenable.
“He was privileged to sit in this body that makes decisions for this country and he had an opportunity to change what he felt was not going right. But he chose to fight from within so he had to be relieved of his position,” Mr Mathenge told Nation.Africa in a phone interview.
The MP said Mr Muturi’s refusal to attend meetings and giving the President an ultimatum that he would do so only after the cabinet addressed issues to do with abductions, disappearances and extrajudicial killings, was also in bad faith.
“He became a rabble rouser and discussed these matters in the media, which disrupted the coherence of a very important institution in the government, thus defying internationally recognized norms,” the MP, a close ally of President Ruto added.
'Dishonest leader'
Mr Mathenge said Mr Muturi had demonstrated that he was a dishonest leader from the rein of former President Uhuru Kenyatta when while the Speaker of the National Assembly, he joined the Democratic Party and started campaigning against Mr Kenyatta.
He went on: “If he felt that the cabinet was not taking his views seriously he should have resigned honourably on principle and inform Kenyans of his decision.”
Kirinyaga Jubilee chairman Mureithi Kang’ara welcomed the Cabinet reshuffle, saying the President has the right to appoint people willing to work with him.
He said there is no way the President can retain Cabinet Secretaries who keep on fighting him.
“The President can’t work with a CS who is rocking the boat from within. Even at home you can’t live with a wife who doesn’t obey you,” said Mr Kang’ara. The chairman asked Cabinet Secretaries who are given jobs to toe the line and work with the president for the good of Kenyans.
“If you are not willing to work you should not enjoy taxpayers money. Public officers should work if they want to retain their jobs,” said Mr Kang’ara.
However, allies of impeached deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said Mr Muturi’s sacking was an attempt to further alienate Mt Kenya region from the country’s national politics.
Tetu MP Mr Geoffrey Wandeto said “from where I sit, this is continued purge of allies of people from Mt Kenya region who speak their mind. You have seen what has happened in parliament when the former DP’s allies were kicked out of committees. Mt Kenya region is being completely sidelined,” Mr Wandeto said.
The MP added: “Mr Muturi was kicked out for demanding that the government addresses the same things that are paining Kenyans. Mr Ruku’s appointment is a cover-up because he comes from the same area as Mr Muturi. But this will not change the way people of this region view this government. The people feel Isolated and let down by the same government they overwhelmingly voted for,” Mr Wandeto said.
Some residents of Embu welcomed the mover while others said the President erred in dismissing the CS.
"We want to thank the President for kicking Mr Muturi out of office and appointing Mr Ruku to replace him, Mr Muturi has been the Speaker of the National Assembly, Member of Parliament and an Attorney General but he has not helped Mbeere community and he should have fired long time," said Mr Bosco Kiura.
Mr Kiura described Mr Ruku as a hard working leader who has initiated and completed many development projects in his political stronghold and his elevation was most welcome.
"Mr Ruku's work speaks for itself, he is a young and good leader who has the interests of his people at heart," said Mr Kiura.
But Mr Gibson Muchoki said the sacking of Mr Muturi has taken residents by surprise.
"What Dr Ruto has done is wrong; he can't kick Muturi out and appoint another leader from the same area. This will create enmity between the two politicians," said Mr Muchoki.
He said the decision by the Head of State was misguided, adding that Embu people have no confidence in his government.
"This government is not helping us at all, it is only creating problems for us because nothing is working from education to health and even agriculture," said Mr Muchoki.
