Wamuzi News Ke
In a stunning revelation today, former Attorney General and Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi disclosed that Kenya’s President William Ruto went to extraordinary lengths—including leveraging personal connections—to compel him to assume the Office of Attorney General—a position he adamantly declined at first.
Muturi, speaking for the first time in such candid detail, said his refusal was grounded in principle: as the government’s chief legal advisor, he feared being muzzled, unable to deliver frank, professional counsel if pressured by the presidency.
“When Ruto became president and was about to name his cabinet, he proposed that he wanted me to be his AG. I told him no, that I was not interested. And the matter ended there,” Muturi said, revealing his initial stand-off with unprecedented clarity .
A Friendship Recruited to Persuade.
Determined to change his mind, Ruto turned to a familiar figure: Moses Wetang’ula, the current Speaker of Kenya’s National Assembly and Muturi’s former university roommate and legal colleague.Muturi recalled receiving a message from Wetang’ula, asking to meet regarding the Attorney General offer. Against his better judgment, he agreed.
“We sat with him, and I decided to tell him the truth. I was sincere and told him I cannot advise in a manner that is inconsistent with our Constitution,” Muturi recounted, deepening the intrigue .
Integrity vs. Power: A Presidential Pitch.
The pressure didn’t end there. After a general meeting with other potential Cabinet members, Ruto pulled Muturi aside for a private discussion. It was then that the president made his personal appeal: he insisted Muturi’s integrity was precisely why he wanted him in the role.
Rather than being a deterrent, Muturi’s reputation for honesty was the very credential Ruto invoked to persuade him. The president assured Muturi that his counsel would not be compromised—a promise that finally swayed the former Speaker of the National Assembly to accept the role .
From AG to Opposition: A Trajectory of ConfrontationMuturi’s tenure as Attorney General quickly turned tumultuous. He emerged as a vocal critic of the government, particularly on the issue of enforced disappearances and abductions—stances that placed him at odds with the presidency.
Following a high-profile exit from government service, Muturi transitioned into the opposition, where his criticisms grew even sharper. Today’s revelations only reinforce his image as a defiant voice, unafraid to expose internal political tensions .
