In a revealing interview with NTV's Fixing the Nation, former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has made bold allegations against President William Ruto, accusing him of hypocrisy in the fight against corruption. Muturi claimed that while the president publicly condemns corruption, he allegedly engages in corrupt dealings worth billions behind the scenes.
Muturi, who served alongside Ruto for two years in the Cabinet, painted a stark contrast between Ruto's public persona and his private actions. He described the president as "quite a dangerous character" and asserted, "I think Ruto is unfit for the position of president. I've no bitterness, this is my assessment." Muturi expressed his disbelief, recalling how Ruto would address his Cabinet members about combating corruption, leaving him questioning, "Who is this talking to?"
The former CS did not hold back, labeling the president as "absolutely, very, irredeemably corrupt." To support his accusations, Muturi recounted a specific incident involving a Ksh.129 billion deal with Russian oligarchs, intended for planting trees. According to Muturi, Ruto pressured him to hurriedly approve the deal during the COP 28 conference in Dubai.
"I landed in Dubai and received a phone call from Ruto, who told me that the Russians were waiting at the airport and I needed to sign the documents. I declined, saying I needed to review the documents in the office," Muturi revealed. He stressed that such funds must legally pass through the Treasury rather than being directed straight to a ministry.
Muturi also criticized the controversial Arror and Kimwarer dam projects, where the government had taken a Ksh.63 billion loan from the Italian company CMC di Ravenna. He pointed out irregularities in costs, quality, and accountability, adding, "I refused to sign the Arror/Kimwarer dams. The Italians were paid billions. In Kimwarer, nothing has happened because the report provided was faulty."
The former CS disclosed that he resisted pressure to sign documents related to the dams despite being invited to meetings with the Italian Prime Minister and President, facilitated by the Head of Public Service. Muturi questioned the intention behind these meetings as the country was already losing Ksh.38 billion on the project.
Addressing the perception that his allegations stem from personal grievances, Muturi denied holding any vendetta against Ruto. He offered to provide supporting documents in softcopy to substantiate his claims.
Muturi’s statements come just weeks after his dismissal from the Cabinet, where he was replaced by Mbeere North MPGeoffrey Ruku.