Justin Muturi: Uhuru ex-ally bags Kenya's eighth attorney general post

Former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi on April 9, 2022, made a decision which became his golden ticket to the next cabinet.

He signed an agreement and joined the Kwanza Alliance team, whose presidential candidate was President William Ruto.

If vetted and approved by the National Assembly, Muturi will be Kenya’s eighth  Attorney  General.

The 66-year-old hails from Embu County and was born on April 28, 1956, in Kanywambora village, Mbeere North.

Muturi attended Kanywambora Primary School where he did his Certificate of Primary Education in 1971.

 He went to Kangaru Boys’ High School before joining the Nairobi School of Law in 1978 and graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree in 1981.

He later went to the Kenya School of Law for a postgraduate diploma in Law shortly before he was admitted to the bar in 1982.

In law school,  he was classmates with big names in Kenyan politics like his successor at the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula, NARC Party leader Martha Karua, among others.

After law school, Muturi served as a principal magistrate between 1982 and 1997 before retiring from judicial service to join politics.

Making an entry into politics, he was first elected to parliament in 1999 as MP for Siakago in a by-election following the death of then MP Silas Ita.

Muturi was re-elected in 2002 and served as opposition chief whip and chair of the Public Investment Committee in the 10th Parliament.

He also served as a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the constitutional review from 1999 to 2004 and Kanu National Organising Secretary.

In 2007, he lost his seat in the general elections after being defeated for the Siakago Constituency MP seat by Lenny Kivuti.

In April 2011, he was appointed the chairman of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD), a civil society group that deals with democracy issues in multi-party politics.

When former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his then deputy William Ruto assumed office in 2013, he was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly.

In 2017, when Uhuru was re-elected, Muturi continued serving as the Speaker until September 15, 2022, when he was replaced by Moses Wetang'ula.

In July 2021, Muturi formally declared his August 2022 presidential bid.

After meeting a section of leaders from Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties, he said his vision for a united, orderly, developed and disciplined nation would only be realised if he ascended to the highest office in the land.

“With your support and your prayers, we will be able to clinch that top seat. We must also put ourselves at the level of any other person with the same dream,” Muturi said.

In April this year, Muturi took a turn and joined Kenya Kwanza Alliance after listening to his supporters in the Mt Kenya region.

“I didn’t just wake up one day and joined Kenya Kwanza. I listened to the ground and they told me to support Ruto,’’ said the Speaker

Muturi was perceived as one of Uhuru’s close allies, however, during a rally in Laikipia in July, he revealed Uhuru’s decision to back Raila Odinga for the presidency was the reason why he fell out with the former president.

“You all know that Kenyatta told us that Odinga is not fit to lead the country during the 2013 and 2017 presidential campaigns. The president has been my close friend for 25 years and I personally asked him why Mt Kenya voters should now back the Azimio la Umoja candidate and he did not give a satisfactory answer,” he said in Solio Village 4.

Last month, Muturi was among those tasked by President Ruto with ensuring the smooth handover of power from Uhuru to his successor.

And on Tuesday, the former Speaker was nominated by the Head of State to the Attorney General position, to succeed Paul Kihara