President William Ruto has dismissed Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi in a mini-Cabinet reshuffle, naming Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku as his replacement.
The move comes barely a day after President Ruto publicly criticized Muturi, labeling him “fairly incompetent” in his previous role as Attorney General.
Tensions between the President and Muturi had been brewing, with the CS becoming a vocal critic of the government. He notably skipped Cabinet meetings, citing concerns over abductions and extrajudicial killings.
In a recent interview, Muturi revealed that he had formally sought permission from Ruto to excuse himself from Cabinet meetings until these issues were addressed.
“Attending Cabinet meetings is mandatory unless one has permission from the President, which is what I sought,” Muturi stated on Citizen TV.
He maintained that his absence was not insubordination, as he had officially written to the Cabinet chair requesting an exemption.
The rift escalated on Tuesday, when Ruto, during a state Iftar dinner, openly called out Muturi’s handling of legal matters—specifically regarding the establishment of Waqf, a Muslim endowment fund.
“I had a problem with the AG who was there before, he was fairly incompetent. But now, I have a very competent lady in the position, and I can assure you that the issues of Waqf will be sorted out within months,” Ruto said.
Muturi swiftly responded, clarifying that while the Waqf Act (2022) exists, it does not provide for a Muslim Endowment Fund, insisting that Waqf is an individual religious initiative managed by the Waqf Commission.
The newly nominated Public Service CS, Geoffrey Ruku, is a close ally of President Ruto and the Mbeere North MP. He won his parliamentary seat in 2022 on a Democratic Party (DP) ticket.
A business and finance expert, Ruku holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Nairobi and has previously served as the Director of Climate Pal Ltd, a company specializing in carbon emissions reduction projects.
His nomination now awaits parliamentary approval before he can officially assume office.
