Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has revealed that he only agreed to become Attorney General after pressure from President William Ruto and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, despite having initially rejected the job.

Muturi, who served as National Assembly Speaker before joining the Executive, said he was hesitant to accept the legal advisory role after the 2022 elections, telling Ruto it was not what he had expected when they agreed to work together.

“I started noticing things were not as I had expected, particularly regarding my role,” Muturi said during an interview with K24.

“When he gave me the job of Attorney General, I initially declined. I told him that is not the job I wanted when we agreed to form the government.”

He said he walked away from the conversation without giving reasons, but the matter came up again when Wetang’ula approached him days later. Muturi described Wetang’ula as a close acquaintance dating back to their time in university.

“I told Moses, you know I am a stickler for the law. I was hesitant about taking up the role of principal legal adviser because I wasn’t sure I’d be allowed to carry out the job independently,” he said.

Despite his reservations, Muturi said the President remained firm that he was the best person for the job. Just before naming the Cabinet, Ruto called Muturi to State House for another conversation.

“He told me, ‘JB, I still want you to be my AG.’ But I told him I would prefer to serve in a ministry. I value legal independence and would rather stand by my professional principles than offer advice simply to please the administration,” he said.

Muturi said Ruto insisted that Muturi’s strict approach to the law was exactly what was needed at the State Law Office.

“When I raised concerns about being involved in procurement matters, he said, ‘That is exactly why I want you,’” Muturi recalled.

He said he only accepted the role after the President gave him personal assurances that he would not be interfered with.

“I told him, ‘If you promise that I’ll work without interference, then I’ll take it.’ He gave me his word,” he added.

Muturi served as Attorney General until July 11, 2024, when the President dissolved the Cabinet following widespread protests. Ruto later appointed him Public Service Cabinet Secretary in a reshuffle.

He held the Public Service post until March 26, 2025, when Geoffrey Ruku was appointed in his place.

Dorcas Oduor replaced him as the new Attorney General.

Later, during a public event, Ruto criticised Muturi’s record as AG, claiming he underperformed and failed to meet the demands of the office.

“I had a problem with the AG who was there before; he did not meet expectations. But now, I have a very competent lady in the position,” Ruto said, referring to the handling of Waqf-related matters.

In his response, Muturi defended his work, saying he delivered on key promises and maintained the independence of the office.

“I don’t have to defend myself; the record is there for all to see. One of the key promises we made was to make the State Law Office independent. I worked to achieve that with Parliament’s concurrence,” he said.