NAIROBI, Kenya – Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has defended his absence from recent Cabinet meetings, revealing that he deliberately opted out in protest over the government’s handling of police abductions and extrajudicial killings.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on Wednesday night, Muturi disclosed that he had formally requested to be excused from the high-level sittings until the issue is placed on the Cabinet’s agenda.
His revelation comes after speculation that his repeated absences signaled a rift between him and President William Ruto.
“I have written and sought to be excused from Cabinet meetings unless the agenda of abductions and extrajudicial killings is formally tabled before Cabinet, through a Cabinet memorandum,” Muturi said. “The Cabinet must express itself and give the country a way forward on this matter.”
The CS has missed three consecutive Cabinet meetings—on January 21, February 11, and March 11—raising questions about his stance within the government.
His absence followed reports of widespread police abductions and extrajudicial killings in the aftermath of last year’s anti-government protests led by Gen Z activists.
While attendance at Cabinet meetings is typically mandatory, Muturi emphasized that ministers can seek permission from the president to skip sessions under exceptional circumstances.
“It is not insubordination when you seek to be excused,” he insisted when asked if his decision amounted to defiance.
Muturi also dismissed speculation that his position in government was under threat, asserting that he has no intention of resigning.
“There are no sufficient grounds for me to quit office,” he stated, downplaying reports of a fallout with Ruto.
He defended his call for accountability over state-perpetrated violence, arguing that his criticism of the government’s response to protests falls within his mandate as a public servant.
“My role requires me to stand for justice. Calling out abductions and extrajudicial killings is not rebellion—it is responsibility,” he added.
