President William Ruto’s constitutional affairs advisor, Prof. Makau Mutua, has defended the opposition’s decision to work with the Kenya Kwanza government, insisting that the move was driven by the need to stabilise the country after a bruising election cycle.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, the former Azimio Secretariat spokesperson said that Raila Odinga’s decision to cooperate with Ruto was motivated by national interest rather than political convenience.
“The election was finished, we engaged with the President and we decided to help him run the country as a political formation in Azimio,” Mutua explained. “There is nothing wrong with that. The choice of working with him is not something anyone should condemn. The President listens to advice because I have sat with him many times.”
He argued that Raila and Ruto’s cooperation had “saved the country from the precipice” at a time of political division and economic uncertainty.
“What distinguishes politicians who have national interest at heart from those who don’t is the actions they take when there is a national crisis,” Mutua said.
At the same time, Mutua issued a scathing critique of Kenya’s political elite, accusing them of undermining public trust through corruption and impunity.
He described the legislature as “bloated” and claimed MPs routinely use their committee positions to extort citizens in order to fund their political activities. “Our elite is corrupt and act with impunity,” he said.
“Young people therefore have a right to be upset about how the elite have governed the country.”
Mutua warned that systemic corruption was not confined to Parliament, but extended across all three arms of government. He added that the frustrations of youth and civil society reflected deeper governance failures that must be urgently addressed.
“We only have one country. If this President fails, we as a country fail. We will have to point at ourselves,” he said, stressing that national unity was essential for Kenya’s survival.
Mutua was keen to clarify that his role was not to shield the administration from accountability. “I am not in this government to whitewash or cover up anything. If things happen that I am not happy with, I will resign,” he said.
Makau Mutua had been on the chopping board for accepting Ruto’s job offer despite earlier promise not to join Ruto’s govenrment.
