Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has raised serious concerns about President William Ruto’s leadership style, claiming that the Head of State’s approach to running the Cabinet has created an atmosphere of fear and stifled open communication among ministers.
In a revealing interview on Friday morning, Muturi alleged that President Ruto’s heavy-handed approach to decision-making mirrors that of former President Daniel Moi’s imperial rule. He suggested that Ruto uses fear tactics to enforce his will within the Cabinet, making it difficult for ministers to voice differing opinions on important government matters.
Muturi, who served as Attorney General before being reassigned to the Public Service docket, described Ruto as a man with “two personalities” a public persona that contrasts sharply with the more domineering figure behind closed doors. He suggested that the President’s reluctance to allow dissent was damaging both to Cabinet dynamics and the effectiveness of the administration.
“With the experience I’ve gained from working with President Ruto, which was my desire, after serving as Speaker for 10 years, MP for two terms, I wanted to serve in the national executive. I think Ruto is a person with two personalities. The one who presents himself to the public is a completely different character from the one who sits behind in the office and crafts stuff, and that person is quite a dangerous character,” Muturi said in an interview with NTV’s Fixing the Nation.
Muturi went further, drawing parallels between Ruto’s leadership style and that of the late President Daniel Moi, whom he claimed also favored an autocratic approach to governance. He expressed concern that Ruto’s apparent disdain for institutional processes could return Kenya to the days of an imperial presidency.
“Ruto is a true example of Daniel Moi, no wonder he campaigned against the current Constitution because I think he enjoys a situation where we can go to an Imperial presidency,” Muturi added. “He has disdain for institutions, and that is why he wants to push everything even in Cabinet…if you want to know somewhere he has an interest, a CS will make a presentation and then Ruto will take over, and begins now to explain to make sure there is no dissent. And he will begin to instil fear slowly, saying, ‘You know, no coming late’…”
The former CS further revealed that many of his Cabinet colleagues were too fearful to speak their minds in Cabinet meetings, instead preferring smaller committee settings where they felt more comfortable sharing their views. He described how some ministers had expressed a preference for Cabinet Committee meetings chaired by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua or Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, where they could participate in more open discussions.
“Today, (In Cabinet) he makes it impossible to have a meaningful conversation. In fact, people enjoy going to Cabinet Committee meetings chaired by the DP (Rigathi and Kindiki) because they can share their ideas and speak their mind,” Muturi said.
In his critique, Muturi suggested that President Ruto’s tactics of controlling Cabinet discussions through non-verbal cues and subtle intimidation had resulted in a stifling environment where ministers were unable to express themselves freely. He likened Ruto’s approach to a form of psychological manipulation that leaves little room for dissent.
“Before Ruto, you just have to know he has expressed this position and he is looking at you, making suggestions…the look he gives you tells you that in this one, you have no options. He is holding the Cabinet hostage.”
When asked whether current Cabinet members shared his opinions, Muturi dismissed the possibility, claiming that the pervasive fear within the Cabinet had rendered most ministers too timid to speak up, even to him. He further alleged that some Cabinet Secretaries had asked him to communicate with them through intermediaries in fear of the consequences of direct interaction.
“I don’t know…many of them are very timid. They would not want to speak. In fact, some of them don’t want to pick up my calls even on WhatsApp. Many of the CSs who are there are too scared that they may be found to have spoken to me,” Muturi said.
“I know others who are telling me, get someone to call on your behalf so we can talk through them…what does that tell you? Ruto has instilled such fear in his entire Cabinet that people don’t want to speak.”
