Two security officers attached to former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi have been withdrawn without explanation, according to the former attorney-general.
Mr Muturi confirmed to the Nation on Tuesday that his security detail had been withdrawn despite being entitled to one under the Retirement Benefits Act as a former Speaker of the National Assembly.
“They were two and were withdrawn last night (Monday) and reasons were not given. I am entitled to them under the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officer) Act Cap 197B,” Mr Muturi said.
However, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said he is yet to receive a formal complaint from Mr Muturi on the status of his security detail, but ruled out that any such withdrawal could be political.
According to Mr Murkomen, the matter should be addressed by the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja if it was done procedurally.
He also explained that the scale-down of officers is routine matter in the security sector, especially with regards to officers guarding former public office holders.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
“That is a simple and small matter that should be handled by the IG. If it’s escalated to me, I will address it as per the law,” said the CS, when responding to inquiries.
“We scale down security assigned to public officers once they vacate office. It’s normal and it applies to all, even me, if I leave office it.”
“Security officers operate within the law and are not incidenced by politics,” said the CS.
Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri also told the Nation that he was not aware of the withdrawal of Muturi's security.
"I'm not aware of any such development therefore I cannot confirm or comment on the matter," Mr Muchiri said.
On Friday, in an interview with NTV's Fixing the Nation programme, Mr Muturi claimed President Ruto was unfit to lead , describing the Head of State as irredeemably corrupt. He’s been on a warpath for a couple of months now, accusing the government of multiple rights violations.
"He is quite a dangerous character. I think Ruto is unfit for the position of president. I've no bitterness, this is my assessment. When I watched him talk to members of my Cabinet, saying ‘I don't want to see corruption,’ I wondered who is talking," Mr Muturi alleged.
"Yes, he (Ruto) is absolutely, very, irredeemably corrupt," the former CS claimed.
Mr Muturi said he was sent packing by the executive because of his strong stance on abductions and extrajudicial killings.
Mr Muturi has maintained that he will not be silenced by the sacking, saying he will continue to speak out about abuses in the administration.
“If their intention is to silence me, they have dialled the wrong number for I will never tire of fighting for the rights of the people of Kenya,” Mr Muturi said last week.
Under the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officer) Act Cap 197B, Mr Muturi is entitled to a monthly pension of eighty per cent of the last monthly salary of the entitled person while in office by virtue of having served as Speaker of the National Assembly until 2022, a lump sum payment on retirement calculated as a sum equal to one year's salary paid for each term of office served, a saloon car with an engine capacity not exceeding 2000 cc which is replaceable every four years.
Mr Muturi is also entitled to a four-wheel drive vehicle with an engine capacity not exceeding 3000 cc, which may be replaced every four years, and a fuel allowance equal to 15 percent of the current monthly salary of the incumbent.
The former Speaker is also entitled to full medical and hospitalisation cover for local and overseas treatment with a reputable insurance company for the beneficiary and the beneficiary's spouse, gratuity at the end of the beneficiary's service at the rate of thirty-one per cent of the beneficiary's salary while in office; Mr Muturi is also entitled to an armed security detail, diplomatic passports for himself and his spouse, access to the VIP lounge at all airports in Kenya.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.
Mr Muturi served as the Speaker of the National Assembly in the 11th and 12th parliaments between 2013 and 2022, and was the first Speaker following the restoration of a bicameral Parliament under the 2010 Constitution.
Mr Muturi said the move to withdraw his security was intended to intimidate him because of his position on extrajudicial killings.
The government has a history of using such tactics to instill fear in dissenting voices or those who challenge government policies.
In 2023, at the height of the anti-government demonstrations led by Raila Odinga and Wiper leader Raila Odinga, police officers assigned to the two were withdrawn.
The Azimio leadership had been putting pressure on the Kenya Kwanza government over the high cost of living.
In addition to the two leaders, more than 50 Azimio leaders had their police bodyguards withdrawn. The government argued that the leaders could not use the same security paid for by the government to oppose the same government.
