Former Attorney General and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has voiced deep concern about the performance of Kenya’s independent institutions, warning that delays, poor case management, and questionable legal decisions in major cases are weakening public confidence in governance.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Tuesday, Muturi said the effectiveness and credibility of key institutions such as the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the judiciary must be protected if the country is to maintain accountability and trust in government.
Muturi pointed to what he described as troubling handling of the controversial case involving Italian contractors, saying the Government of Kenya had a strong position but internal actions and external legal advice risked undermining the case.
“How can you say that the Government of Kenya has a weak case? So I was concerned that the position taken by my SG because he was keen on compromising the case in London, the private lawyers… I realized that he was also persuaded to go the route… deliberately seeking to lose the case,” Muturi said.
He explained that investigations carried out locally had already revealed irregularities in certificates and payments amounting to billions of shillings, yet efforts were made that could have weakened the criminal proceedings.
“The report showed that the only thing they did was to put a container at some corner of the land… and Italy was claiming 26%, and all they said is 1%… In fact, we had paid well over 6 billion,” he said.
According to Muturi, the situation showed the dangers of mismanagement within institutions that are supposed to safeguard public resources and enforce the law.
He also criticized the performance of independent offices, arguing that reforms meant to shield them from executive control have not delivered the expected results. Muturi said that even after the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was separated from the executive, its work has not improved as many had hoped.
“The issue of institutional independence and integrity is very crucial for this country. This country is not poor; we just need to address governance, leadership, issues to do with integrity,” Muturi said.
He noted that slow progress in court cases continues to damage public confidence. In many situations, he said, files remain unresolved for years while disagreements between investigators and prosecutors delay action.
As an example, Muturi referred to a procurement dispute involving former Busia governor Sospeter Ojamong, which he said dragged through the legal system for so long that it was concluded only after Ojamong had already left office.
Muturi called for a renewed national discussion on governance, law enforcement, and the justice system, saying such conversations are necessary to strengthen institutions and improve accountability.
He also referred to past reforms during the administration of former president Mwai Kibaki, when judges underwent a major vetting exercise known as radical surgery. According to Muturi, similar bold steps that are anchored in law may again be required to address weaknesses in the system.
“These delays and mismanagements don’t inspire confidence in citizens… We need to regularly review what each of us is doing in the area of governance,” he said.
Muturi maintained that Kenya has enough resources and capacity to succeed but must confront governance problems directly. He stressed that restoring integrity within institutions and strengthening leadership will be key to rebuilding public faith in the country’s legal and governance systems.