Justin Muturi's bold stand exposes the rot in government

By Robert Mutasi

Public Service Minister Justin Muturi's son, Leslie Muturi, was kidnapped by National Intelligence Service (NIS) agents.

This represents the second scenario of how the Kenyan socio-political climate operates with corruption and where politics and public safety fail.

Therefore, when a current Minister of Public Service champions such an occurrence as the first of its kind in relation to community calls for abductions and disappearances, it's like a million times more.

Yet, it represents how state-sponsored activities come from within the same ranks of those who are supposed to protect citizens. But regardless, where is this promised protection supposed to come from?

Still, the common Kenyan has no real hope of getting to that level or even comparable. Muturi attempted to contact others of his security caliber; however, the newly unemployed Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome and newly unemployed Minister of Interior Kithure Kindiki neither responded nor helped as they could not care less.

Ultimately, Muturi contacted President William Ruto to reassure his son, which notes how far the corruption extends within the Kenyan government.

But all this begs the question, where was Haji's NIS? This isn't to say that the previous administration is under attack after a year and this agency's tenure a year and a half in.

Yet Haji is under attack by NIS's purview because it's the NIS that Muturi claims is behind the abduction.

So when the public drives a wedge for the sake of champions of human rights and MPs overstepping their boundaries to ensure Haji's resignation, Haji cannot remain.

The NIS has to know its boundaries, for example, says Kennedy Oculo, coordinator of Justice Alliance Human Rights Advocates.

When national security operatives tasked with helping and protecting Kenyans turn into national security inquiry levels at the expense of human rights with abductions for ransom and intimidation, someone has to go.

This is so important that even Kalonzo Musyoka, head of the Wiper party, had to address it. He questioned, "If a call from the Attorney General cannot be picked by junior officers like the NIS Director, who should pick it?" reflecting a sense of citizenry frustration compounded by an untenable government that should have never allowed for this situation to occur.

Furthermore, Musyoka's call for Ruto to either resign or apologize publicly suggests that this was more than a mistake, but an intentional, flagrant overstep.

But Muturi's findings aren't political, for Muturi is neither a pro-government fool making such statements nor attempting to cover anything up.

For example, Muturi's findings are somewhat political according to Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi,a fallen, ignorant approach of someone on the pro-government side. In addition, Muturi should be thrown out according to MPs Silvanus Osoro and Marianne Kitany,an absurd yet relative effort to quell any political machinations in this arena.

Leslie Muturi was not the victim of an isolated incident. She was an idiotic pawn in a campaign of UPF-sponsored terror.

Therefore, Justin Muturi's plea for legislative compassion should unite the rest of the politicians to champion a cause for transparency in government investigators.

The head of the NIS should resign, and an internal investigation should be conducted to determine this terrorist attack on innocent citizens.

Conversely, if the investigation turns up nothing and no action is taken, this becomes sedition against the country and a scheme to silence fake news and any subsequent malfeasance.

An authoritative take on what might be the concluding statement comes from Muturi. If Kenya has a government that eats, it doesn't need a government; it needs citizens.

Leslie Muturi doesn't just need hers. Every Kenyan wronged in the name of state-sanctioned impunity needs theirs.