Muturi hits back at President Ruto over incompetence remarks

Former Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Justin Muturi, has fired back at President William Ruto’s recent accusations of incompetence.

Speaking on Nation FM on Friday, Muturi strongly defended his record during his time as Attorney General, asserting that his actions speak for themselves.

He particularly highlighted his efforts in making the State Law Office independent, a key promise he fulfilled during his tenure.

Ruto’s comments came during an Iftar dinner at State House when he responded to concerns raised by Muslim leaders about delays in the rollout of the Muslim Endowment Fund (Waqf).

The President attributed these delays to what he called Muturi's "incompetence" in handling the matter and assured the attendees that the issue would now be dealt with under the leadership of a “competent” individual.

However, Muturi swiftly refuted these accusations, explaining that the delays were not due to any inefficiency on his part.

He clarified that under the Waqf Act 2022, there was no provision for a Muslim Endowment Fund.

“Under the Waqf Act No. 8 of 2022, there’s no provision for a Muslim Endowment Fund. It must be understood that a Waqf is a religious, charitable, or benevolent endowment by a person who professes the Muslim faith and is managed by the Waqf Commission,” Muturi said.

Muturi suggested that Ruto’s remarks were an attempt to divert attention from his ongoing advocacy regarding abductions and extrajudicial killings in the country.

“I believe the President’s intention in making that accusation is to divert me from pursuing this issue of abductions and extrajudicial killings,” he stated, emphasizing that he would not be distracted by the criticisms.

On his record, Muturi was clear in his defense, emphasizing that his work as Attorney General included fulfilling campaign promises, such as making the State Law Office independent.

He recalled that when he assumed office, it was a key commitment in their manifesto, and he delivered on that promise with the support of Parliament.

“When I got there, we had committed ourselves in the manifesto that we will make the office of the state law independent. I went there and I did exactly that with the concurrence of parliament,” he said.

Muturi concluded by reinforcing his focus on human rights issues and asserting that he would not engage in a back-and-forth with Ruto over these remarks.

He made it clear that he was committed to addressing the more pressing issues of extrajudicial killings and abductions in Kenya, regardless of the President’s comments.