By Daniel Otieno, Nairobi
The Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, Justin Muturi publicly broke ranks with the government he serves and called out President William Ruto over the spiraling wave of abductions and illegal detentions.
Muturi accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of orchestrating the vices it promised to end, targeting perceived anti- government enemies.
“I joined the Kenya Kwanza coalition owing to the fact that the principles that they espoused were in tandem with the principles of the party I belong to, the Democratic Party,” said Muturi, adding, “many friends and political colleagues at the time warned me about joining the coalition, but I was persuaded that we would be driven by the ideals that the coalition stated as a hustler nation to do the best for the people of Kenya,”
Muturi in a presser at a Nairobi hotel said that the Kenya Kwanza coalition was on the forefront in criticizing the former regime on enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings and even vowed that they would not embrace such trajectories of leadership, saying that was a thing of the past.
“Today, there have been a number of abductions and in some cases unexplained deaths since the Gen Z revolts in June last year,” said Muturi.
He said that the most annoying thing is the fact that most of the people being abducted are youths leaving their parents, relative and friends in pain and agony.
The former Attorney narrates the agony his family went through after his son Leslie Muturi was abducted.
“I have personally suffered as my son was abducted and disappeared, I was not sure whether he was alive or dead, making us anxious and leaving me and my wife and my family in turmoil,” said the former Speaker of the National Assembly.
He added: “It must be remembered that I was the Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya at the time, yet I was unable to trace my son despite making several requests and demands to all levels of the security apparatus,”
According to Muturi, the son was released but six months later, he has not been charged with any offence in the court of law and nobody has explained why he was abducted and held incommunicado.
He said that Kenyans are baffled on who is behind the abductions as the security has denied involvement in the acts of omission and commission.
“The President has equally called the stop of the abductions clearing the air that the government has nothing to do with the ordeal. Kenyans want to know how many youths have been taken since the abductions started. How many have been released and how many are still being held?” said Muturi
On January 3, Muturi took a stand that the government cannot be unaware of those behind abductions and since then many youths who were abducted have been released. “The government cannot be excused for abdicating its duty of protecting lives and properties of the people,” he said.
The former government legal advisor has called for the arrest of those involved in such uncalled for abductions and immediate release of those held in custody.
Muturi further stated that continuation with such a trajectory will plunge the country into chaos and anarchy, saying that Kenya to be a democratic country where people live in fear.
But in a quick rejoinder, the National Police Service (NPS), said that they are investigating all the cases of abductions reported to them and that action has been taken.
