Published on January 14, 2025 by Agencies for Kenya Online News
Last Updated on 1 year by Agencies for Kenya Online News
Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Justin Muturi now claims that President William Ruto intervened to have his abducted son released.
In a statement recorded by Muturi to the Directorate of Criminal (DCI), Muturi stated that he went to State House and explained to the President about his ordeal.
The CS detailed his frantic efforts by reaching several government officials to have his son released.
Muturi stated that by around 3 am he had not gotten any help and decided to reach out to President Ruto.
“Around 3.00 am, I decided to send a WhatsApp message to the President, informing him about my son’s abduction,” he claimed.
At the same time, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi on Tuesday, January 15th, 2025 recorded a statement at Kilimani Police Station about his son’s alleged abduction.
Below is his statement in verbatim:
On the 22nd of June 2024 at 21:29, I was meeting some friends in Gigiri when I received a call from Wairimu, the wife of my son, Leslie Muturi.
She told me that she had been informed by Hon. Mark Mwenje that Leslie had been abducted a few minutes ago by armed, hooded gangsters.
She said they had just passed the roundabout on Denis Pritt Road and turned onto Olengruone Avenue when the incident occurred. She stated that Leslie had been with Hon. Mark Mwenje and Marangu Imanyara at Alfajiri having drinks, and they decided to go to a birthday party in Lavington.
It was during this process that Leslie was waylaid and kidnapped. The kidnappers forced him into a vehicle and drove off, and she was unable to reach him on his phone.
I tried calling Leslie’s phone, but it was switched off. At the time, I was with my friend, Paul Muthoka. After discussing the matter with him, I called the Inspector General (IG) of Police, Japhet Koome, and explained the situation, and he promised to circulate the information among various police stations and call me back.
Shortly afterwards, Mark Mwenje called me from the scene and described what had happened.
He said the vehicle that abducted Lesley was a white box Prado, and armed men brandishing AK-47 rifles and wearing hoods had blocked Leslie’s car, opened the driver’s door, and pulled him out while the car engine was still running. Mwenje noted that at the time he called me, Leslie’s car engine was still running.
I then called Raymond Omollo, the PS for Interior, and explained the abduction.
He assured me that he would take action. I also attempted to reach the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mr. Mohammed Amin, but his phones went unanswered.
I tried calling the Nationa Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General, Noordin Haji, but he did not answer either. After about an hour, I called the IG again.
He informed me that he had alerted all personnel on all routes, suspecting it might have been a robbery.
However, I told him that based on the information provided by Mwenje, the abductors appeared to be security personnel rather than robbers. He seemed unconvinced, stating that there was no planned police operation that night.
Several friends joined me at the scene, and we continued making calls to various offices and individuals who might help in locating my son.
I called Raymond Omollo a second time, and he confirmed that he had contacted several agencies to assist in finding Leslie.
However, he was still inclined to believe it was a carjacking.
We learned that police from Kilimani had gone to Citizen TV to obtain CCTV footage, but the station was initially reluctant to release it. Hon. Ndungu Gethenji, who had joined us, called Wachira Waruru, the CEO of Citizen TV, explained the situation, and requested any information that might help identify the vehicle. Waruru later sent us footage showing the events leading to the abduction. The footage showed Leslie driving out, followed by Mwenje.
The footage also captured the box Prado and another vehicle, resembling a Probox, following Leslie and Mwenje prior to the abduction.
Around 3:00 AM, I decided to send a WhatsApp message to the President, informing him about my son’s abduction.
Around this time, someone gave me the contact number of Said Kiprotich Mohammed, the Director of Anti Terrorism Protection Unit (ATPU), as we had identified the box Prado in the CCTV footage and learned that such vehicles were often used by ATPU. I called Mr. Mohammed, but he did not answer or respond to my text message.
Since I could not reach Amin, I obtained the contact of his deputy, James Onyango, and called him. He said he would look into the matter but was unaware of any police operation that night. We eventually retired to our homes around 5:00 AM to freshen up.
While at home, around 8:15 AM, James Onyango called and informed me that they had checked everywhere, but there was no reported case of that nature. He promised to intensify their search efforts.
Shortly afterwards, Said Kiprotich Mohammed called back. After I explained the situation, he assured me that there was no ongoing operation and that ATPU was not involved.
Given the anxiety at home, where many relatives and friends had gathered, I informed them of the previous night’s efforts and left to continue the search. We returned to Gigiri and met with friends who had also been searching various police stations without success.
Between 10:00 and 11:00 AM, a friend from NIS called, informing me that my son was being held by their people. I shared this information with my friends, and it was agreed that I should call Noordin Haji again. Despite multiple attempts, he did not answer.
Just before 1:00 PM, I decided to call Prof. Kindiki, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior. After explaining the entire situation, he expressed shock and assured me he would contact Noordin Haji.
Fifteen minutes later, Prof. Kindiki called back, saying he had spoken with the DG of NIS, who denied holding Leslie. Despite my insistence that I had confirmed information from an NIS officer, Prof. Kindiki maintained that the DG could not be lying.
We continued our inquiries, and I checked my phone to see if the President had read my message. He had not. Shortly afterward, we saw the presidential helicopters heading towards State House. Knowing the President had been attending a church service in Nyandarua, I decided to drive to State House to see him in person.
Upon arrival, I found that the President had just finished lunch with a group of MPs, including Mwangi Kiunjuri and Hon. John Kawanjiku.
I waited until they finished their discussion. When Mwangi Kiunjuri concluded his conversation with the President, I approached. After greetings, I informed the President about my message, and he explained that his phone had crashed due to an overload of messages.
I then narrated the ordeal, including my interactions with various senior government officials who had been unable to help. I expressed my belief that NIS was holding my son.
The President joked, asking why anyone would want to arrest a young person over the GenZ demonstrations. He even mentioned that Kiunjuri’s son and the sons of other officials had been involved in similar demonstrations.
He then called his technician to check the status of his phone. Since it was still not functioning properly, I requested that he call Noordin Haji directly.
Standing outside the pavilion, I heard the President ask Noordin Haji if he was holding my son, Noordin confirmed that indeed he was holding my son and the President instructed him to release Leslie immediately. Noordin responded that Leslie would be released within an hour.
After thanking the President, I drove out of State House and rejoined my friends in Gigiri and explained what had happened. Slightly over an hour later, Leslie called me to say he had been released and was at home. I then went home to see him.
This is a true and accurate recollection of what transpired.
