Ruto vs Muturi: The high-stakes political game of chicken

For months now, Muturi's bone of contention with President Ruto has revolved around fiery remarks he made against the State over abductions and killings of Gen Z protesters in June and December 2024, where his son was also a victim.

“This is murder most foul. It is only fair that, at this point, the country shelves any other business to discuss this matter of abductions and extrajudicial killings,” Muturi said on January 31 after the bodies of two of four young men abducted in Mlolongo were found.

He has even stated that he requested to be excused from Cabinet meetings until the issues of police abductions and extrajudicial killings were on the agenda.

Donning the antagonist title in Ruto's cabinet, Muturi bravely said the move to call out his boss falls within his sworn mandate as a public servant, and he should instead be applauded for the same.

This even prompted calls for resignation, as leaders and Ruto's loyalists said that going after his boss was the wrong move and that he is not fit to be in the ruling administration.

Among those who hinted at the ouster include Forestry CS Aden Duale, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro and Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech.

Muturi has, however, allayed concerns about his speculated resignation, insisting that there are no sufficient grounds for him to quit office.

He had even dared those calling for his impeachment to make a move.

“I will just say, bring it on. At my age, I’m not the kind of person to respond to some perfunctory statements made by fairly inexperienced politicians," he told the press in January.

"I think they’re not worthy of my response. So if anybody thinks that I don’t know what I was doing, they’re up for a rude shock."

Ruto fronts incompetence claims

Ruto, who had remained tight-lipped over the matter for weeks, broke his silence on Tuesday and branded his Public Service CS as “fairly incompetent”.

Speaking during an Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi, Ruto said CS Muturi's inept handling in establishing the Muslim Endowment Fund (Waqf) as Attorney General denied the commission an opportunity to manage Islamic endowments.

The endowments under Waqf will see properties being dedicated for religious and charitable purposes overseen by a Commission. 

“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 stated.

Muturi swiftly rebutted his boss, intimating that the Waqf Act No.8 of 2022 did not include a provision for a Muslim Endowment Fund. 

"It must be understood that a waqf is a religious, charitable or benevolent endowment by a person who professes Muslim faith and is managed by the Waqf Commission," Muturi wrote on X.

The Waqf Act came into force on March 31, 2022, and has yet to be operationalised. 

The process to appoint commissioners commenced on July 12, 2023, under Muturi's orders and candidates were shortlisted in June.

However the process was crippled after President Ruto dissolved the Cabinet after the anti-government protests over an oppressive tax law in 2024. 

Political experts have opined that Muturi and President Ruto are waiting on who will make the first move, arguing that any move will have dire ramifications on the wanting fabric of Ruto's administration.

As a political chess master, Muturi is seemingly angling for a sack to gain his political capital as he knows an axe from President Ruto will award him mass support.

Meanwhile, Ruto is privy to the same fact and he seems to withhold his political talons to avoid losing political favor in the Mt.Kenya region where a majority of votes hail.

The duo remains at a standoff in the political dice they are playing, waiting for the first one to budge.