Former Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chairperson Macharia Njeru has claimed that he faced threats from President William Ruto during his tenure at the police watchdog.
In a statement on Friday, July 31, Njeru alleged that the current Head of State sought to influence the institution while serving as Deputy President.
He made the remarks while reacting to comments by former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndungu accusing Ruto of overrunning government institutions.
"I've heard Prof Njuguna Ndungu's views on Ruto overrunning government institutions. I experienced it firsthand when I was the Chair of IPOA while he was the Deputy President," Njeru wrote.
Njeru went on to allege that Ruto personally contacted him and issued threats, warning of consequences if IPOA failed to act in line with the expectations of the then regime.
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"Ruto called me early one morning, threatening that if IPOA didn't comply, he and Uhuru Kenyatta would treat us as they did the opposition. I told him to proceed," he added.
Njeru questioned why leaders of public institutions allow themselves to be intimidated by political office holders, arguing that no individual should be viewed as beyond accountability.
"I don't understand why people in institutions fear a single man just because he's President, but he's not God. We're all mortal. As the Romans would say 'Memento mori'," he further said.
Speaking on Thursday, July 30, Ndung'u accused Ruto of undermining public institutions, claiming that government officials are acting out of fear because institutions have been overrun by political influence.
He said Kenya has the institutional and individual capacity to uphold integrity, but that potential is weakened when leaders interfere with independent institutions.
"The capacity to do the right thing exists, but it is often undermined by institutional failure, where individuals seek to overrun institutions. Right now, the current president overruns all the institutions, and as a result, everyone within those institutions feels compelled to conform out of fear," he said.
Ndung’u said he chose not to participate in questionable transactions during his tenure at the National Treasury because he believed such actions would have lifelong consequences that would not disappear with a change in government.
"I refused to engage in questionable deals while serving in the Ministry of Finance. I simply couldn't do it because I knew those actions would follow you to your grave. They don't disappear when a regime leaves office," he added.
Ndung’u maintained that the strength of both individuals and institutions is what enables public servants to resist improper demands, noting that political environments are temporary while accountability remains.
"Ultimately, it is only individual and institutional capacity that gives someone the courage to say no, because they understand that the consequences will follow them. Political circumstances change, and the rules of the game also change," he concluded.
