Ruto: 'Muturi fired himself'

President William Ruto now says the former public service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi absconded duties, leading to his dismissal.

While speaking in a one-on-one interview at Sagana State Lodge on Monday evening, the president blamed Muturi for firing himself.

“Then, in the process, he went on strike, skipping cabinet meetings. So, am I the one who fired him, or he fired himself? If you are a cs, you don't attend meetings. What am I supposed to do?” Ruto asked.

The president went ahead and explained how Muturi first landed the Attorney General position and why he was switched to CS.

“I gave Muturi a job as Attorney General. He explained to me that he had not been practicing law for a long time since he left from being a magistrate to parliament to becoming a speaker. He said the job was a beat challenging. I observed for a while and realised that the job was challenging for him,” he explained.

The president blamed himself for forcing Muturi into the position despite his complaints.

“I blame myself because I convinced him to do the work, but after a period, I realised that he was overwhelmed, so I decided to change for him a docket,” President Ruto said.

On his transfer of role to the CS, the president said he gave his friend a “second chance” to serve

The president said Muturi’s dismissal does not signify any financial struggles.

“It's not the end of the road. JB Muturi has a very good pension as a former speaker, so he can not struggle financially,” he added.

The president was speaking for the first time since he reshuffled the cabinet, giving Muturi’s position to Mbeere North Member of Parliament Geoffrey Ruku.

Muturi fell out with the government when he first spoke about his son’s abduction criticising the government for not ending the practice.