Justin Muturi Brands President Ruto 'Irredeemably Corrupt' and Unfit for Office

President William Ruto is facing serious allegations of corruption from former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi. 

Muturi, once a close ally of Ruto, has publicly accused the president of prioritizing personal financial gain over good governance, claiming he is "irredeemably corrupt" and "unfit" to lead the nation. Muturi's accusations centre on several specific incidents. He alleges that Ruto improperly influenced the shelved Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) renovation project through intermediaries. 

Further, he claims a proposed partnership with Russian investors for a tree-planting initiative was marred by irregularities. According to Muturi, pressure was exerted on him during the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023 to approve the Russian deal. He says that businessman Narendra Raval offered him a private jet ride to Dubai, where Ruto directly urged him to finalize the agreement. Muturi maintains he refused to sign off on the deal without proper due diligence. 

“Guru, who is one of the Guptas, told me he chartered an executive jet for a direct flight. Immediately I landed in Dubai, Ruto called me saying the Russians were waiting for me to sign things,” he further claimed.

“I told him I was in transit, thus unable to leave the airport. He said my staff had already prepared the documents but I insisted that I needed to do a review when I got to the office.”

He also contends that numerous government programs under Ruto's administration are being used for personal enrichment, bypassing accountability safeguards. President Ruto has dismissed Muturi's claims, attributing their fallout to alleged performance issues during Muturi's tenure as Attorney-General. Speaking at a recent State House dinner, Ruto criticized Muturi's competence and accused him of delaying the establishment of the Muslim Endowment Fund, a key initiative for the Muslim community.

“I had a problem with the AG who was there; he was fairly incompetent, but we now have a competent lady," Ruto said while addressing Muslims who gathered for an Iftar dinner on March 25 at State House, Nairobi.

Muturi has rejected the accusations of incompetence and denied that his statements are driven by personal vendetta. He insists his concerns stem from governance issues, referencing a prior discussion with Ruto where he expressed his commitment to upholding the law. He had cautioned Ruto that he would not be able to support actions that contravene legal principles.

“I told Ruto, you know me to be a stickler for the law and if I take up this job and perhaps one day you want to do things in a particular way which the law does not allow, I will have problems and that’s why I’m reluctant to take up this job.”