Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has strongly responded to President William Ruto after the president called him “fairly incompetent” during his time as Attorney General.

On Tuesday, during an Iftar dinner at State House, President Ruto criticized Muturi for delaying the launch of the Muslim Endowment Fund (Waqf).

Muslim leaders had proposed this fund, but according to President Ruto, it had not moved forward as expected.

Waqf is an important concept in Islam. It refers to a type of endowment where a person donates property for religious or charitable purposes. A special commission is responsible for managing these endowments.

While speaking at the dinner, Ruto did not hold back his criticism. He stated, “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.”

In response, CS Muturi defended himself. He explained that the Waqf Act No. 8 of 2022 does not mention anything about creating a Muslim Endowment Fund.

He further clarified that a waqf is a private donation made by a Muslim individual and is managed by the Waqf Commission.

Religious and Charitable

Muturi shared his response on his X (formerly Twitter) page. He wrote:

“Under the Waqf Act No. 8 of 2022, there is no provision for a ‘Muslim Endowment Fund.’ A waqf is a religious, charitable, or benevolent endowment made by a Muslim individual and managed by the Waqf Commission.”

This public exchange highlights the growing tension between Ruto and Muturi. Their relationship has become more strained, especially after Muturi accused Ruto’s government of failing to address rising cases of abductions in the country.

The Waqf Act officially became law on March 31, 2022, but it has not yet been implemented.

To put things in motion, on July 12, 2023, Muturi appointed a five-member panel to select Waqf Commissioners.

He made this official through a gazette notice. He also reached out to the National Treasury and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to request a budget for the panel’s work and allowances.

Later, on April 18, 2024, the selection panel met for the first time. A month after that, they were officially sworn into office.

Then, on June 11, 2024, Muturi placed an advertisement in local newspapers, inviting qualified candidates to apply for the position of Waqf Commissioner.

Incomplete process

However, before the process could be completed, the situation took a turn. Amid massive public protests led by Gen Z activists against the Finance Bill 2024, President Ruto dissolved his entire cabinet.

Because of this, the Waqf selection process was left in limbo.

Eventually, on August 21, 2024, Dorcas Oduor took over as the new Attorney General. However, by then, the Waqf Commission process was still incomplete.

To try and resolve the matter, the Chairperson of the Waqf Selection Panel, Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome, met with AG Oduor on October 17, 2024.

During this meeting therefore, they discussed how to move forward with selecting the Waqf Commissioners.

This issue remains unresolved, but both sides continue to push for a solution.

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