Former Attorney General and Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has accused Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja of contempt of court, claiming he deliberately ignored a court order to reinstate his security detail.
Muturi argues that the absence of his bodyguards puts his life in jeopardy and constitutes willful defiance of the law by the country’s top police officer. In a petition filed at the High Court in Milimani, Muturi insists that the withdrawal of his security was not only unlawful but also a punitive response to his outspoken criticism of the current administration.
As a former Speaker of the National Assembly, Muturi believes he is entitled to protection under the Retirement Benefits (Deputy Presidents and Designated State Officers) Act. The Act guarantees two armed police officers for former Speakers, a privilege Muturi says was unlawfully revoked.
The government withdrew Muturi’s security shortly after President William Ruto removed him from the Cabinet, reportedly leaving him vulnerable. This prompted Muturi to take legal action.
In his application, Muturi revealed that the High Court issued a conservatory order on April 11, 2025, directing the Inspector General of Police to immediately restore his security and refrain from any interference until the case is heard on June 24.
“The court issued a conservatory order directing the Inspector General of Police to immediately reinstate or restore my security and not to withdraw or interfere with it in any manner until 24 June 2025,” Muturi stated in his affidavit.
Muturi has expressed alarm over the situation, arguing that the government’s failure to act not only threatens his safety but also highlights a troubling rise in impunity within state institutions.
Muturi Alleges Political Motivation Behind Security Withdrawal
Muturi, who has since aligned himself with the emerging Opposition camp, believes that the decision to withdraw his security was politically motivated. He argues that the move was intended to silence him after his public criticisms of the government, particularly regarding issues such as abductions, disappearances, and alleged killings during last year’s protests.
“The decision to withdraw the security is malicious and without lawful explanation. It was taken in reaction to Muturi’s public criticism of the current administration,” the court document states.
Muturi maintains that the Inspector General deliberately disregarded the law and violated court orders by failing to reinstate his security. He has called the withdrawal “an administrative action made without any force of law, unreasonable, whimsical, and ought to be quashed.”
On April 17, 2025, Muturi’s legal team, Isaac W & Associates, sent a letter to the police chief demanding compliance with the court order, but received no response.
With the court order still unfulfilled, Muturi has returned to court, seeking a ruling that the Inspector General be found in contempt. He emphasizes that the law must be upheld, regardless of one’s position in government.
“It is the unqualified duty of every person against whom an order is issued to comply with it,” Muturi asserts.
