Ruto picks Mbeere North MP Ruku to replace Muturi

Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku/FILE

President William Ruto has nominated Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku as the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes.

If approved by Parliament, Ruku will replace Justin Muturi who has been relieved of his duties.

The changes were communicated in a statement issued by Chief of Staff Felix Koskei on Wednesday.

"His excellency the President has today instituted further changes to the senior ranks of the Executive within Cabinet. By virtue of the Presidential Action, Cabinet is set to achieve its constitutional full strength; a move that bolsters the Administration's capacity to continue to steer Kenya's socio-economic transformation," Koskei said.

In the mini changes, Ruto also nominated Hannah Wendot Cheptumo as the CS nominee for Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage.

The two nominees are expected to bring to Cabinet not only the knowledge and experience acquired over the course of their illustrious careers but, above all, their wisdom accumulated from their inspiring and diverse life journeys, Koskei said.

"His excellency the President has congratulated the nominees on their nominations and conveyed his best wishes as they undergo the requisite parliamentary approval process in fulfillment of the legal requirements set under our constitution."

Meanwhile, Environment CS Aden Duale was swapped with his Health counterpart Deborah Barasa in the changes. 

Who's Geoffrey Ruku?

The 45-year-old won the parliamentary seat on the DP ticket in the 2022 general election after garnering 17, 069 votes to beat three other candidates in the race.

The lawmaker, a key ally of President Ruto, made the first parliamentary attempt in 2013 but lost to Muriuki Njagagua.

In 2017, he gave politics another stab, this time on the Jubilee party ticket for the Embu Senate, but again lost this time round to Njeru Ndigwa.

The MP is the founding director of Climate Pal Ltd, a joint venture company which implements carbon emissions reduction projects in Kenya.

Ruku graduated from the Catholic University of of Eastern Africa with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 2002.

He later joined the University of Nairobi (UoN) where he graduated with a post-graduate Diploma in Diplomacy and International relations in 2005 and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA)-Finance in 2009.

While at the university, Ruku was the chairman of the Mbeere University Students’ Association.

In a past interview with a local media, Ruku said he was a captain in primary school and at Siakago Boys High School.

Muturi's downfall

Muturi broke ranks with the government when he on February 12 boldly claimed that it had a hand in a spate on abductions that befell the country at the height of Gen Z demonstrations in June last year.

In a recent TV interview, Muturi said he would not resign from Cabinet for the unprecedented criticism, saying he should instead be commended for the firm stand he took against an issue the President had sworn would not be permitted under his watch.

Ruto, who all the while never once responded to the remarks of the former Attorney General, on Tuesday fired his first salvo and branded Muturi as "fairly incompetent" as he loaded praises on the new AG Dorcas Oduor.

In his speech during an Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi, Ruto said Muturi's poor handling of the establishment of the Muslim Endowment Fund (Waqf) while serving as the AG denied the commission an opportunity to manage Islamic endowments.

“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 Wakf will be sorted out within months,” Ruto said.

On Wednesday, Muturi responded and in a post on X, said: 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 then released a statement highliting some of the gains he made while serving in the State Law office in an apparent show of defiance.